Sudan drone strike on Darfur court kills 35, rights group blames army

At least 35 people were killed after a drone strike hit a traditional court in Garra al-Zawaya village in North Darfur on Sunday, according to a Sudanese rights group, which blamed the attack on the Sudanese army. The strike targeted a gathering where civilians had assembled to attend local hearings, as fighting between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) continued into its third year.

The Emergency Lawyers group, which has documented abuses by both the Sudanese army and the RSF throughout the conflict, said the strike took place at around 1:00 pm local time (1100 GMT).

According to the organisation, the court in Garra al-Zawaya was hearing local disputes when it was struck.

A witness from the area told AFP, on condition of anonymity for safety reasons, “The court session was being held under a tree with the participation of local community leaders.”

The witness said those killed included “four tribal leaders and two RSF commanders”.

The village is under the control of the Rapid Support Forces, which have been fighting the Sudanese army since April 2023.

There was no immediate response from the army.

The RSF’s self-declared government condemned the attack as “a horrific crime”, claiming 37 people were killed and 50 others were injured.

Drone warfare intensifies in Darfur

Garra al-Zawaya is located near Kabkabiya in North Darfur, about 150 kilometres (93 miles) west of El-Fasher, which had been the army’s final stronghold in Darfur before it was captured by the RSF during an offensive last October.

UN investigators have said the violence surrounding the RSF’s siege and capture of El-Fasher bears “the hallmarks of genocide”.

Following the capture of the city, the RSF, which emerged from the Janjaweed militia accused of atrocities in Darfur during the early 2000s, strengthened its control across much of the region.

UN raises concerns over worsening conflict

Since the battle for El-Fasher, both sides have increasingly relied on drone attacks.

According to the United Nations, more than 1,000 civilians were killed in drone strikes during the first five months of this year.

Last week, after losing control of a key highway connecting Khartoum with El-Obeid, RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan Daglo released a video message urging his fighters to consider themselves “unleashed” in the war against the army.

El-Obeid, the largest city in the Kordofan region, has faced sustained drone attacks in recent weeks, prompting the United Nations to issue a “red alert” over the unfolding “catastrophe” as the RSF seeks to restore a blockade and is believed to be preparing a ground offensive.

The United Nations has repeatedly warned that further RSF advances in El-Obeid and the wider Kordofan region could result in mass atrocities.

The conflict between Mohamed Hamdan Daglo and his former ally, army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, has killed tens of thousands of people, displaced millions and created what the United Nations describes as the world’s largest hunger and displacement crises.

Both sides have been accused of committing war crimes, including indiscriminate attacks on civilians, while the RSF has also faced accusations of systematic sexual violence, looting and mass atrocities.