Faith Nyasuguta
At least 54 people were killed in a military airstrike on a local market in Sudan’s western region, aid groups reported Tuesday.
The attack came as Sudan’s military continued to make sweeping gains in the capital, Khartoum, where it seized the presidential palace on Friday. The military is now trying to drive its foe, the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, entirely out of the city.
The attack occurred in the village of Tora, North Darfur, on Monday, igniting a massive fire that devastated the area. Rights groups have condemned the strike, labeling it a “war crime” due to its impact on densely populated civilian areas.
The Sudanese military has denied targeting civilians, calling the allegations “incorrect.” A spokesperson claimed the airstrike was aimed at hostile targets, asserting the army’s constitutional and legal right to defend its positions. However, local rights groups and humanitarian organizations have accused the military of indiscriminate attacks on civilian areas, exacerbating the humanitarian crisis in Darfur.
More than half of the victims were women, and at least 23 others sustained injuries in the attack. Emergency Lawyers, a pro-democracy network documenting abuses in Sudan’s ongoing conflict, described the airstrike as a deliberate targeting of civilians.
Videos circulating on social media purportedly show charred bodies and smoking debris in the aftermath of the strike, though independent verification remains challenging due to a telecommunications blackout in the region.
The conflict in Sudan, which erupted in April 2023, has claimed over 28,000 lives and displaced millions, creating one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises. The violence has been concentrated in Darfur, a region the size of France, where both the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have been accused of committing atrocities.
Human rights organizations have documented widespread ethnic violence, attacks on displacement camps, and the use of barrel bombs in civilian areas. The RSF, which controls much of Darfur, has deployed high-tech drones, while the SAF maintains aerial superiority with warplanes regularly striking RSF positions.
The situation in Darfur remains dire as both sides continue to escalate violence. The international community has called for an immediate ceasefire and accountability for war crimes committed during the conflict. However, efforts to mediate peace have been hindered by the collapse of Sudan’s health care system and the near-total breakdown of governance in the region.
RELATED:
