A deadly drone strike on a crowded marketplace in Sudan's North Darfur state has resulted in the deaths of at least ten people, according to local emergency responders. The attack highlights the intensifying violence across the country, which has forced the evacuation of humanitarian staff from a besieged city facing famine.
Market Attack in RSF-Held Town
The incident occurred on Saturday at the Al-Harra market in the town of Malha, which is under the control of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The North Darfur Emergency Rooms Council, a volunteer aid coordination group, reported the strike. They stated the attack ignited fires in shops and led to extensive material damage, but did not assign blame to any specific party.
Neither the Sudanese Armed Forces nor the RSF provided an immediate statement regarding the assault. This attack is part of the broader conflict that erupted in April 2023 between the national army and the RSF, a war that has plunged the nation into a catastrophic humanitarian disaster.
Humanitarian Collapse and Forced Evacuations
As the violence spreads, the war's current focal point is the region of South Kordofan. The situation in the state capital, Kadugli, has deteriorated sharply. A source from a humanitarian organization told AFP that all aid workers were evacuated from Kadugli on Sunday due to dire security conditions.
This evacuation followed a decision by the United Nations to relocate its logistics hub from the city. Kadugli and the nearby town of Dilling have been under siege by paramilitary forces since the war began. Last month, the UN declared a famine in Kadugli, where residents have been compelled to search for food in nearby forests to survive.
Strategic Shift and a Nation Divided
The RSF, after capturing the army's last stronghold in Darfur, El-Fasher, in October, has now redirected its efforts towards the resource-rich Kordofan region. This area is a strategic link between the army-held territories in the north and east and the RSF-controlled Darfur in the west.
Last week, the RSF also claimed control of the Brno area, a key defensive position on the road connecting Kadugli to Dilling. Communications in the conflict zone have been severed, isolating communities and complicating relief efforts.
The protracted conflict has effectively split Sudan in two. The army maintains control over most of the north, east, and centre, while the RSF dominates the five state capitals in Darfur and, alongside its allies, holds significant territory in the south. The war has already claimed tens of thousands of lives, displaced close to 12 million people, and created the world's most severe displacement and hunger crisis.
