Sudanese army renews airstrikes in Nyala and El Fasher

April 3, 2024 (NYALA) – In a renewed escalation of tensions, Sudanese army warplanes launched airstrikes late Wednesday night on several locations in Nyala, the capital of South Darfur.

A Sudanese army aircraft circled ominously over Nyala before unleashing a barrage of explosive barrels onto the Al-Jir and Texas neighbourhoods, the Grand Market, and the 16th Infantry Division Command. The RSF countered with a heavy barrage of ground-based anti-aircraft missiles.

On October 26th, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) seized control of Nyala’s 16th Infantry Division headquarters. Since then, the city has been ravaged by airstrikes, with both sides accusing each other of targeting civilians.

The violent fighting that Nyala witnessed over the past months forced most of the city’s residents to flee. Despite a lull in the fighting, the central neighbourhoods remain deserted.

The RSF currently controls four of the five states in the Darfur region. However, El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, remains under government control due to threats from armed movements that signed the Juba Peace Agreement to resist any RSF incursion.

Reflecting the wider conflict, North Darfur also witnessed airstrikes on Wednesday. Warplanes pounded suspected Rapid Support Forces (RSF) positions in El Fasher’s eastern and northern neighbourhoods. Eyewitnesses also reported attacks near Mellit, 60 kilometres north of the city.

For the past three weeks, relentless airstrikes have battered El Fasher. Civilian casualties and widespread destruction, including damage to homes, have been reported. These attacks have sparked outrage from political parties, armed opposition groups, and professional associations.

(ST)