In Khartoum, Sudan, a drone strike on an open market took place on Sunday, September 10. The fallout from the attack saw 43 individuals dead and over 55 injured.
The victims of the attack were cared for at Bashair University Hospital. Video evidence from the Resistance Committees, an activist organization, depicted the wounded at the medical center.
Conflict in Sudan has been escalating since mid-April, centering around the national military commanded by General Abdel Fattah Burhan and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) led by General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo. Following the drone strike, the RSF accused the military’s air division of the attack. In contrast, the military clarified that there was no direct intention to inflict harm on civilians.
Frequent clashes, marked by shelling and airstrikes, between these two groups have put the Greater Khartoum region in the spotlight. The RSF’s occupation of civilian homes for military use has resulted in these properties being targeted by the national military.
Simultaneously, ethnic tensions have been evident in the western Darfur area. Here, the RSF, with support from their Arab allies, has directed their efforts against ethnic African groups. Such occurrences have garnered condemnations from both the United Nations and various rights organizations. Moreover, RSF-initiated aggression on a military facility incited further clashes in Al-Fasher, the capital city of North Darfur.
The United Nations’ representative for humanitarian concerns in Sudan, Clementine Nkweta-Salami, has emphasized the urgency for both parties to discontinue their hostilities. This is primarily to ensure that essential humanitarian assistance reaches those in need.
According to recent statistics from the United Nations, the ongoing unrest in the region has resulted in a death toll exceeding 4,000, with some experts suggesting this number might be underestimated. Displacement figures stand at roughly 7.1 million within Sudan, while an estimated 1.1 million have fled to adjacent countries. Among these, Chad has welcomed nearly 465,000 refugees, with a significant portion originating from West Darfur due to heightened conflict.
