Artillery strike claims dozens of civilian in South Darfur cacpital
August 29, 2023 (NYALA) – A devastating artillery bombardment targeted eastern neighbourhoods in Nyala, the capital of South Darfur state, resulting in the loss of more than forty lives. The incident unfolded on August 22 when civilians sought sanctuary beneath a prominent bridge to evade the escalating crossfire between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
Sources shared with Sudan Tribune that a fatal shell was discharged from the eastern sector, controlled by the paramilitary forces, taking the lives of those seeking shelter. In contrast, the RSF held the army, which controls the city’s western area, accountable for what they termed a “massacre,” asserting their shells were aimed at the eastern Nyala neighbourhoods.
On Tuesday, a statement from the RSF spokesperson alleged that the “Burhan coup militia and the extremist remnants of the former regime executed a brutal massacre of innocent civilians within Nyala, leading to the deaths of 42 individuals and inflicting injuries on numerous others”.
Journalist Al-Hadi Abdallah, from Nyala, conveyed to Sudan Tribune that many civilians had perished due to the fierce confrontations between the RSF and the army over the previous fortnight. He pointed out that a significant concentration of victims was situated in the Taiba neighbourhood under the control of the paramilitary forces, along with the eastern and northern zones of the city.
Abdallah disclosed that the Rapid Support Forces had commandeered civilian residences, compelling their occupants to flee. They had also seized governmental and private installations and launched an assault on the army command to assert dominance. This aggressive approach triggered the army’s defensive response, leading to an alarming toll of civilian casualties and extensive infrastructural damage.
An exodus of city inhabitants towards the Kalma, Al-Salam, Darij, and Atash camps for the displaced was reported in the aftermath. At the same time, some sought refuge in the southern city of Belail or fled to North Darfur and East Darfur states.
The Sudanese army, however, remained silent regarding this catastrophic event.
Recent developments included a cessation of hostilities between the two factions two days prior, as no fresh clashes had been reported. Nonetheless, sources hinted at ongoing mobilization efforts by the Rapid Support Forces close to the command centre of the 16th Infantry Division of the army.