At least 20 civilians killed in North Darfur air raid by SAF

Reports indicate that at least 20 civillains, including women, children, and elders, were killed, and many more seriously injured, when Sudanese Air Force (SAF) warplanes struck a social event in El Koma, North Darfur, on Saturday.

The El Zayadiya Shura Council condemned the attack in a statement yesterday, accusing the Sudanese army of repeatedly targeting El Koma with airstrikes and chemical weapons since the outbreak of the war.

“This is not an isolated incident but part of a series of crimes against local communities, targeting them on tribal and racial grounds to dismantle Sudan’s social fabric,” the Council said. It labelled the bombing a crime against humanity and held the army leadership fully responsible.

The Council called on Sudan Founding Alliance (Tasees), its Presidential Council, and Sudan’s Prime Minister Kamil El Tayeb Idris to defend civilians and urged regional and international human rights organisations to document the crime, hold perpetrators accountable, and ensure humanitarian access for survivors.

In a statement published on X(formerly Twitter) on Sunday, Tasees condemned the attack in El Koma, warning that continued airstrikes would only deepen destruction and human suffering. The group added that the assault was “part of a series of systematic crimes that amount to acts of genocide.”

‘Displaced people rally for justice’

Displacement camps across Darfur staged peaceful marches in support of the trial of Ali Kushayb, convicted last week by the International Criminal Court (ICC) of war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in 2003 and 2004. The ICC will hold a final hearing before issuing a ruling in November.

The General Coordination of Displaced Persons and Refugees reported demonstrations in camps including Kalma, Otash, Hamidiya, Nierteti, Tawila, Sortony, Golo, and Kassab, while symbolic activities were held in camps in Chad, including Kerfi, Goz Beida, Farshana, and Tolom.

The Coordination said the rallies expressed the determination of displaced people and refugees to achieve justice, stressing that accountability is not revenge but fairness for victims and their families.

Kushayb’s conviction marks a pivotal step after years of impunity. The Coordination urged the ICC and the international community to press Sudan to hand over other wanted figures, including former Sudanese president Omar Al-Bashir, former defence and interior minister Abdel Raheem Mohamed Hussein, and former minister of state for the interior Ahmed Harun.

“Justice is a non-negotiable right,” the statement said. “Seeing perpetrators in the dock offers victims hope and begins to heal the wounds of women, children, widows, and the oppressed.”