Drone Attack in North Darfur Market Kills 10 Amid Ongoing Sudan Conflict

Khartoum, Sudan – A drone strike on a busy market in North Darfur’s Malha town killed 10 people over the weekend, local first responders reported. The attack caused fires in shops and significant material damage. No group has claimed responsibility.

The strike comes as fighting continues across Sudan, particularly in the south, where aid workers were evacuated from the famine-hit city of Kadugli on Sunday due to escalating clashes.

Since April 2023, Sudan’s army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have been engaged in a deadly conflict, which has killed tens of thousands, displaced nearly 12 million people, and triggered the world’s largest humanitarian crisis.

North Darfur’s emergency volunteers said the drone hit Al-Harra market, which is under RSF control. There has been no comment from the Sudanese army or RSF regarding the attack.

The war’s current focus is South Kordofan, where clashes in the state capital, Kadugli, have intensified. A drone strike there last week killed eight people as they tried to flee army-controlled areas.

Humanitarian organizations have evacuated staff from Kadugli amid security concerns, following the United Nations’ decision to relocate its logistics hub from the city. Kadugli and nearby Dilling have been under RSF siege since the war began.

The RSF recently took control of the Brno area, a key route linking Kadugli to Dilling. After capturing El-Fasher in Darfur last October, the RSF has focused on Kordofan, a resource-rich region connecting army-held northern and eastern areas with RSF-held Darfur.

Communications have been cut in the region, and the United Nations declared a famine in Kadugli last month.