Drone attack on North Darfur market kills ten people

(MENAFN) A drone attack struck a crowded market in North Darfur, Sudan, over the weekend, killing 10 people, first responders said. The North Darfur Emergency Rooms Council reported that the strike hit al Harra market in the RSF-controlled town of Malha, causing fires in shops and extensive property damage. The council did not specify who carried out the attack, and neither the Sudanese army nor the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have commented.

The incident comes as fighting intensifies elsewhere in Sudan. Aid workers were evacuated from Kadugli, a famine-stricken city in the south, due to worsening security conditions. A humanitarian source said all personnel had been withdrawn following the UN’s decision to relocate its logistics hub from the city.

Since April 2023, Sudan’s army and the paramilitary RSF have been engaged in a conflict that has killed tens of thousands and displaced nearly 12 million people, creating the world’s largest displacement and hunger crisis. Kadugli and nearby Dilling have been under siege by RSF forces, and clashes have escalated in the state capital, where a recent drone attack killed eight people attempting to flee.

The RSF has shifted its focus to the resource-rich Kordofan region after securing control over El Fasher, its last stronghold in Darfur, in October. The conflict has effectively divided Sudan: the army controls the north, east, and center, while the RSF dominates Darfur’s five state capitals and parts of the south. Communications remain cut in the area, and the UN recently declared a famine in Kadugli, forcing residents to forage in nearby forests.

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