A human rights monitoring organization reported that at least 35 people were killed and several others wounded after a Sudanese military drone struck an informal court in western Darfur.
According to the Emergency Lawyers group, which documents abuses by both warring factions in the country, the air attack took place around 1:00 p.m. local time on Sunday in Garra al-Zawaya, a village in North Darfur state.
The rights group stated that local residents had “gathered to attend hearings on local cases and disputes” when the strike occurred. The attack severely damaged the traditional institution, which serves as a venue for resolving local and tribal conflicts.
The village is currently controlled by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Tens of thousands of people have lost their lives since April 2023 in the ongoing war between RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo and Sudanese army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan.
Speaking on the condition of anonymity for safety reasons, a local witness told the AFP news agency, “The court session was being held under a tree with the participation of local community leaders.”
The witness added that those killed in the strike included “four tribal leaders and two RSF commanders”.
Garra al-Zawaya is situated near Kabkabiya, approximately 150 kilometers (93 miles) west of el-Fasher. El-Fasher was the army’s final stronghold in Darfur before the RSF captured it following a devastating offensive in October. United Nations investigators previously noted that violence surrounding the RSF’s siege and takeover of the city carried “hallmarks of genocide”.
Following the capture of el-Fasher, the RSF, which evolved from the government-backed Janjaweed militia linked to Darfur atrocities in the early 2000s, consolidated its hold over most of the region.
Both sides have increasingly turned to drone warfare as the conflict has dragged on. UN figures indicate that drone strikes caused more than 1,000 civilian deaths in the first five months of the year alone.
The broader conflict has forced millions from their homes, giving rise to what the UN considers the world’s largest humanitarian crisis.
