Air strikes kill dozens of civilians in Darfur

December 9, 2024 (KABKABIYA/NYALA) – Sudanese military aircraft launched a series of air strikes on several towns in Sudan’s Darfur region on Monday, killing dozens of civilians, witnesses and activists said.

The attacks are the latest in an escalating campaign of air strikes by the army on towns and villages controlled by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary group.

In Kabkabiya, North Darfur, a fighter jet dropped five bombs on the town’s market, killing more than 30 people and wounding at least 50 others, activist Mustafa Abdelkarim told Sudan Tribune.

Adam Rijal, a spokesman for a displaced persons’ organization, confirmed the air strike on Kabkabiya and said dozens of civilians had been killed.

Kabkabiya, which is under RSF control, has been repeatedly targeted by air strikes.

In Nyala, the capital of South Darfur, witnesses told Sudan Tribune that warplanes dropped eight bombs on the city’s airport, the former headquarters of the UNAMID peacekeeping mission, and sites in north Nyala. The witnesses said there were civilian casualties.

The attacks drew widespread condemnation.

A spokesman for the Sudan Liberation Movement, Fathi Mohamed Abda, accused the armed forces of waging a “systematic war of annihilation” against the Sudanese people. He said the indiscriminate bombing of civilians in residential areas, markets, and mosques was a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law.

He condemned the air strikes on Kabkabiya, al-Kuma in North Darfur, Tabit al-Sheikh Abdul Mahmoud in Gezira state, and several locations in Khartoum state.

The National Umma Party also condemned the air strikes and the RSF’s shelling of towns, residential neighbourhoods, and service facilities.

It called on both sides to protect civilians and avoid putting their lives at risk.