Scores dead in new drone attacks across Darfur, Kordofan

New drone attacks have left a swathe of death and material destruction across Darfur and Kordofan over the past days, as warring parties exchange accusations, and tribal tensions flare. The Sudan Founding Alliance (Tasees) government, based in the South Darfur capital Nyala and aligned to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has condemned the drone attack on the market in Kabum city in South Darfur State, which resulted in the death of 12 people and the injury of dozens, while tribal conflicts between the Salamat and Beni Halba continued despite calls to stop the fighting and to let reason prevail.

The coalition explained that the bombing targeted a restaurant and a passenger vehicle with three missiles, considering this a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law and all human values and norms.

He asserted that the bombing constituted a deliberate targeting of civilians, part of a systematic policy to exterminate specific population groups, terrorize the population, and inflict maximum civilian casualties. He also accused the armed forces of engaging in a new phase of a scheme to fuel tribal conflicts and expand the scope of violence and chaos in areas experiencing social tensions, with the aim of prolonging the war and turning civilians into its fuel.

Meanwhile, tribal clashes between the Salamat and Bani Halba continued for a fifth day, with sources reporting deaths and injuries. Several political, civil, and military leaders appealed to both sides to exercise restraint, cease fighting, and withdraw their forces.

Major General Abdelrahman Juma Baraka Allah, the division commander in Zalingei, directed the Salamat and Bani Halba tribes to stop fighting, end the dispute, and deny the opportunity to those lying in wait. He thanked the military personnel in the two tribes for their efforts to resolve the conflicts and called on the local leaders to extinguish the flames of fighting.

The National Umma Party appealed to the two honourable tribes to heed the voice of reason and wisdom, to prioritize the values of tolerance and coexistence, to immediately cease hostilities, and to resort to dialogue and peaceful means to address the causes of the conflict, in order to prevent bloodshed, preserve lives, and safeguard the social fabric.

He also appealed to local administrations, community leaders, religious figures, and all local actors to work to contain the crisis and intervene urgently between the parties to the conflict, and to strengthen reconciliation efforts and mend the social fabric. He warned of the danger of the growth of tribal conflicts in light of the widespread availability of weapons and the repercussions of the war that the country is witnessing.

Accusations

The Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) said that these conflicts come in the context of the security breakdown created by the Rapid Support Forces through the dismantling of state institutions, the weakening of the rule of law, and the spreading of chaos in the areas where they are deployed, and held them responsible for the environment that allowed these conflicts and other conflicts witnessed in the region to erupt.

The movement added that the escalation of tribal and regional conflicts is linked to the so-called “founding” project, which calls for reshaping the reality of Darfur on ethnic, tribal and regional grounds, considering this a threat to the unity of the social fabric and fuelling polarization among Sudanese components, and stressing that the future of Darfur is not built on tribal sorting or regional hegemony, but rather on equal citizenship, the unity of the state and the rule of law.

In the same context, Minni Arko Minawi, the governor of Darfur, accused the Rapid Support Forces of starting the war, and appealed to the wise and prudent people of the two tribes to stand together to stop the bloodshed immediately, and not to be drawn into the schemes that he said seek to tear apart the social fabric and serve the agenda of the Rapid Support Forces.

At least 50 killed in drone attacks on Kordofan and Darfur

Since Thursday, drone attacks on six locations in Kordofan and Darfur have killed at least 52 people.

Local sources in Dilling, South Kordofan State, reported that the city was subjected to a series of drone attacks this morning, targeting several locations within and around the city. The sources stated that more than eight drones were launched at different times, causing widespread concern among residents.

There has been no official information yet regarding the extent of the damage or any casualties resulting from the attacks. These developments come amidst ongoing security and military tensions in several parts of the state, while residents have called for urgent measures to protect civilians and maintain the city’s security and stability.

At least 8 people killed in Umm Rawaba

In Umm Rawaba, at least eight people were killed, and others were injured as a result of a drone strike that targeted the city of Umm Rawaba in North Kordofan State during the past two days, yesterday and today, Tuesday.

Eyewitnesses from the city of Umm Rawaba told Radio Dabanga that a drone targeted the western neighbourhood of the city today, resulting in a number of deaths and injuries, the exact number of which has not been determined at the time of preparing the report.

One witness explained that yesterday’s bombing killed 8 people, including engineer Jaafar Hassan and Barir, the driver of the city’s electricity department vehicle, and police assistant Hassan Musa.

Witnesses indicated that the attacks caused panic and fear among citizens, with concerns about repeated targeting and worsening security conditions in the city.

18 people killed in Umm Badr

For its part, the Emergency Lawyers Group revealed that 18 people, mostly young people, including two children, were killed on Thursday as a result of drone strikes targeting two civilian vehicles that were transporting traders in the Umm Badr area to the Armal area in North Kordofan State. It explained that the bombing led to the complete destruction of the two vehicles and the death of all those on board.

She said that the intense drone activity in the area led to the closure of the Abu Zaima market, causing a partial paralysis of commercial activity and a rise in the cost of basic commodities.

26 people killed in Darfur

The Sudanese Founding Alliance condemned the drone attack on the market in Kabum town in South Darfur state, which killed 12 people and injured dozens.

The Tasees coalition explained that the bombing targeted a restaurant and a passenger vehicle with three missiles, considering this a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law and all human values and norms.

In Ardamata, West Darfur, at least four people were killed in a drone attack.

The United Nations expressed concern over the killing of dozens of civilians in Sudan during the Eid al-Adha holiday, as violence continues to escalate in parts of the Kordofan and Darfur regions.

United Nations spokesman Stephane Dujarric said 10 people, including three children, were killed in Umm Dukhun in Central Darfur state on Saturday.