The grim discovery came as part of investigations into crimes committed under ousted president Omar Al Bashir's regime. Al Bashir ruled the country with an iron fist before the army deposed him amid huge street protests in April 2019.

A investigating committee "found the mass grave in the past four days following the hearing of witness accounts", about killings at Ailafoon military camp, public prosecutor Tagelsir Al Hebr said in Khartoum.

Some of those suspected of involvement in the incident have already fled the country, said Mr Al Hebr, who did not disclose how many bodies were found.

"The grave was exhumed and now the committee will continue to work with forensic authorities and examine the evidence," said Wael Ali Saeed, a member of the investigation committee.

Ailafoon military camp, south-east of the capital Khartoum, was used for training new conscripts under Al Bashir's rule.

In 1998, a group of conscripts died as they attempted to escape the base for the Eid Al Adha holidays. 

The Sudanese government at the time said that about 55 young conscripts fled the base and drowned when their overloaded boat capsized in the Blue Nile.

However, opposition groups accused the regime of deliberately killing the conscripts and reported a death toll of more than 100 and many Sudanese families reported that their sons went missing and their remains were never found.