A drone strike on a crowded market in Sudan’s North Darfur State has killed at least 10 people, first responders confirmed over the weekend. The attack further highlights the worsening security situation as fighting escalates across several parts of the country.
Volunteer responders said the strike hit Al-Harra market in the town of Malha on Saturday. The market sits in territory controlled by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). However, authorities did not immediately identify who carried out the attack.
According to the North Darfur Emergency Rooms Council, the drone strike sparked fires in several shops and caused extensive material damage. Neither the Sudanese army nor the RSF issued an immediate response to the incident.
Violence Spreads Beyond Darfur
The deadly market attack comes as clashes intensify in other regions, particularly South Kordofan. Fighting has escalated in Kadugli, the state capital, where security conditions have deteriorated sharply in recent weeks.
A source with a humanitarian organisation operating in Kadugli told AFP that aid groups evacuated all their workers from the city on Sunday. The source cited growing insecurity and sustained clashes as the main reasons for the withdrawal.
The evacuation followed a decision by the United Nations to relocate its logistics hub from Kadugli. Officials did not disclose the new location of the evacuated staff.
War Creates Deepening Humanitarian Crisis
Sudan has remained locked in conflict since April 2023, when fighting erupted between the national army and the RSF. The war has killed tens of thousands of people and displaced nearly 12 million, creating the world’s largest displacement and hunger crisis.
Last week, a drone attack in Kadugli killed eight civilians as they attempted to flee the besieged city. Communications in the area remain largely cut off, complicating rescue and relief efforts.
The United Nations declared a famine in Kadugli last month. Residents now rely on foraging in nearby forests to survive, according to accounts gathered by AFP.
Strategic Battle Lines Harden
After pushing the army out of El-Fasher in October, the RSF shifted its focus to the resource-rich Kordofan region. The area serves as a strategic corridor linking army-held northern and eastern Sudan with RSF-controlled Darfur.
The conflict has effectively split the country. The army controls much of the north, east, and centre, while the RSF dominates Darfur’s state capitals and parts of the south.
As violence spreads, aid groups and international observers continue to warn of worsening civilian suffering.
