Sudanese Army Drone Strike Hits Traditional Court in North Darfur
Sudanese army drones struck a traditional court in a North Darfur village on Sunday, killing four tribal leaders and two Rapid Support Forces commanders, according to rights monitors cited by AllAfrica.
The strike hit Garra al-Zawaya, a settlement in North Darfur under RSF control, while elders and fighters were seated under a tree adjudicating local disputes, the Darfur Network for Human Rights said. The Emergency Lawyers group reported that at least 35 people were killed in the attack, while the RSF’s self-declared administration in Darfur put the toll at 37 dead and 50 wounded.
A traditional court under fire
Traditional courts, known in Darfur as judiya, are convened under the authority of tribal elders and are widely used to settle disputes over land, water, marriage and compensation between communities. Hearings are typically held in the open air, with participants seated beneath a tree or in a designated gathering space — as was the case in Garra al-Zawaya when the drones struck, according to the Darfur Network for Human Rights.
The killing of tribal leaders in such settings has been a recurring feature of Sudan’s civil war. Local elders often command influence that can rival or exceed that of armed factions, and their loss tends to remove both a layer of dispute resolution and a channel of communication between communities and combatants.
A broader front around El Obeid
The attack comes amid escalating fighting around El Obeid, the capital of North Kordofan state and a strategic junction linking Darfur to central Sudan. The city has emerged as one of the focal points of the conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces, led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the RSF commanded by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti. Both sides have used drones and heavy weaponry in operations around the city, with international monitors documenting strikes on civilian gatherings and infrastructure.
North Darfur has been among the war’s most active theatres since fighting broke out in April 2023. The region, where Sudanese forces and the RSF first clashed, has seen waves of displacement and reports of communal violence. Aid agencies have warned repeatedly that access to affected areas remains severely constrained.
Reporting and accountability
Casualty counts from Sunday’s strike differed between the two sources cited by AllAfrica: Emergency Lawyers reported at least 35 killed, while the RSF-aligned administration in Darfur gave a figure of 37 dead and 50 wounded. As AllAfrica reported, neither the Sudanese Armed Forces nor the RSF had publicly acknowledged the strike at the time of publication. International human rights organisations have called for independent investigations into attacks on traditional courts and other civilian gatherings across Darfur.
Sources
This report was written from coverage published by the following news organisations. Follow the links for the original reporting.
- AllAfrica — Sudan: Drone Strike On North Darfur Traditional Court Kills Tribal Leaders Amid Escalation Around El Obeid
- The Africa Report — Zimbabwe: Why South African traditional leaders met Mnangagwa regarding xenophobic violence
- BBC News — Sudan army drone strike on court session kills 35, rights group says
