Sudan Army Drone Strike Kills 35 at Darfur Traditional Court
The Sudanese army carried out a drone strike on a traditional court session in an RSF-controlled village in North Darfur on Sunday, killing at least 35 civilians including tribal leaders and RSF commanders. This event forms part of broader Sudan strikes that have intensified in recent months.
Attack on Darfur Court Session
The strike targeted the Customary Court in al-Zawiya Ghara, also referred to as Ghara al-Zawiya or Garra al Zawaya, in Garra al-ZawayaAl-Serief locality near Kabkabiya, about 150 km west of El-Fasher, at around 1:00pm local time. [1] Civilians had gathered for local court hearings held under a tree with community leaders, and victims were inside the court building and its immediate surroundings. [5] The Emergency Lawyers rights group documented that SAF drones targeted the court, killing at least 35 people and injuring others during the afternoon strike. [3] A witness stated that the court session was being held under a tree with the participation of local community leaders. [2] The privately owned Darfur 24 website quoted a local resident who said that two drones flew over the town before launching more than four missiles. [2] The village remains under RSF control. [1]
Casualties and Victims
Among those killed were four tribal leaders and two RSF commanders, according to the witness from the area. [1] The RSF's self-declared government reported 37 killed and 50 wounded in the attack. [5] The Emergency Lawyers group stated that the strike hit civilians gathered to attend hearings on local cases and disputes. [5] Victims included people inside the court building and in its immediate surroundings when the attack occurred. [3] The group noted that attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure constitute a grave violation of international humanitarian law. [2]
Sudanese army drone strike on traditional court in North Darfur village kills 35 civilians. — Source: rfi
Reactions from Involved Parties
The RSF's self-declared government condemned the attack as a horrific crime. [1] The Emergency Lawyers Group called for an investigation into the drone strike and condemned the targeting of the court. [2] The Sudanese army has not commented on the incident. [5] The rights group has documented abuses by both the army and the RSF throughout the three-year conflict that began on 15 April 2023. [1] The Emergency Lawyers added that drones are being increasingly used to target civilian areas and gatherings, which exacerbates the risks faced by the population. [2]
Context of Drone Warfare in Sudan
Both sides have increasingly used drone warfare since the RSF captured El-Fasher last October. [1] The UN reports more than 1,000 civilians killed in drone strikes in the first five months of this year. [4] The Emergency Lawyers group has noted the growing deployment of drones in the conflict. [3] UN investigators have said violence linked to the RSF's siege and capture of El-Fasher bears the hallmarks of genocide. [5] The RSF emerged from the Janjaweed militia accused of atrocities in Darfur in the early 2000s. [1]
Sudanese army drone strike killed 35 civilians at a traditional court session in North Darfur. — Source: gdelt
Background of the Sudan Conflict
The broader war between the Sudanese army under Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and the RSF under Mohamed Hamdan Daglo has killed tens of thousands, displaced millions, and created the world's largest hunger and displacement crises. [5] Both sides have been accused of war crimes, including indiscriminate attacks on civilians. [2] The RSF holds most of Darfur in the west of the country as the two sides continue to fight in the three-year-long civil war. [2] Following its takeover of El-Fasher, the RSF consolidated control over much of the region. [1] The RSF has been particularly accused of systematic sexual violence, looting and mass atrocities. [5]
Recent Developments in Kordofan
Last week, after losing control of a key highway linking the capital Khartoum and the city of El-Obeid in Kordofan, RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan Daglo released a video message in which he told his fighters to consider themselves unleashed in their war against the army. [1] El-Obeid, the largest city in the southern Kordofan region, has come under intense drone attacks in recent weeks, prompting the UN to issue a red alert over the unfolding catastrophe there. [3] The UN has repeatedly warned that RSF advances in El-Obeid and the wider Kordofan region could lead to mass atrocities. [5] The RSF has sought to reimpose a blockade and is feared to be preparing a ground offensive. [1]
What to watch next: The UN continues to warn of an imminent risk of mass atrocities in Sudan's Kordofan region amid ongoing drone attacks on El-Obeid and RSF efforts to advance following the loss of a key highway.
