Sudanese airstrikes in Darfur kill dozens, trigger RSF retaliation

August 20, 2024 (AL-DAIEN, AL-FASHER) – Sudanese warplanes carried out a series of deadly airstrikes in the Darfur region and central Sudan on Tuesday, killing dozens of civilians and prompting retaliatory shelling by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

The airstrikes targeted the cities of Al-Daien, Al-Fasher, and Al-Tawisha in Darfur, as well as Al-Hasaheisa in Al-Jazirah state. Al-Daien, the historical capital of the Rizeigat tribe and a stronghold of the RSF was particularly hard hit.

Al-Daien’s teaching hospital and a displacement centre were struck, resulting in at least 15 deaths and dozens of injuries.

Activists and journalists on the ground reported widespread destruction and civilian casualties, with video footage showing the aftermath of barrel bomb attacks. The Sudanese military has not commented on the airstrikes.

In response to the aerial bombardment, the RSF launched artillery strikes on civilian areas in Al-Fasher, the capital of North Darfur state. The shelling caused further deaths and injuries, adding to the mounting humanitarian crisis in the region.

The conflict in Sudan, which erupted in April between the army and the RSF, has killed thousands and displaced millions. Darfur, which suffered a devastating conflict in the early 2000s, has seen a resurgence of violence, with widespread reports of atrocities against civilians.

The international community has condemned the violence and called for a ceasefire, but efforts to mediate a lasting peace have so far failed. The latest airstrikes and retaliatory shelling underscore the deteriorating security situation in the country and the urgent need for a resolution to the conflict.