Sudan Army Drone Strike on Darfur Court Kills 35, Rights Group Says
A Sudanese human rights group has reported that the Sudanese army (SAF) carried out a drone strike on a traditional court in North Darfur on Sunday, killing 35 people. According to AllAfrica, citing RFI, the attack targeted a village held by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
The rights organisation documented the strike against a judiya — a traditional dispute-resolution court that forms part of local governance in parts of Darfur. The incident underscores the continued use of drones by both sides in Sudan’s civil war, which has reshaped battlefields across the country since it began in April 2023.
A war with deep roots in Darfur
The current conflict pits the regular army, led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, against the RSF commanded by Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, widely known as “Hemedti”. The two men had jointly seized power in a 2021 coup before their rivalry broke into open fighting. North Darfur, with its capital El Fasher, has been one of the most contested theatres of the war. The region has a long history of conflict, including the early-2000s Darfur war that prompted International Criminal Court indictments and a major peacekeeping mission.
Traditional courts in Darfur serve as community-level institutions for resolving disputes over land, family matters and pastoral conflicts. Their destruction, the rights group said, removes a key layer of local justice in areas already weakened by years of war.
Humanitarian toll
The Sudanese civil war has displaced millions of people and pushed parts of the country toward famine, according to United Nations agencies. International observers have accused both the SAF and the RSF of strikes on civilian targets and of widespread violations of international humanitarian law. The drone strike reported on Sunday is likely to add to pressure on mediators seeking to revive stalled peace talks.
Sources
This report was written from coverage published by the following news organisations. Follow the links for the original reporting.
