The Sudan Founding Alliance (TASIS) has accused Sudan’s military of carrying out a deadly drone strike on a crowded market in Nyala, South Darfur, killing 102 civilians and wounding 113 others, according to casualty figures released by the alliance’s Government of Peace and Unity.
The attack struck the Tangooj night market in the Doumaya neighbourhood, west of Nyala, on Monday evening, October 26, as traders, workers and residents gathered in the busy commercial area.
TASIS condemned the bombardment, accusing forces under army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan of deliberately targeting civilian markets and residential areas in territory administered by the alliance.
In a statement on Tuesday, the alliance described the attack as part of what it called a systematic campaign against civilian gatherings, commercial centres and essential infrastructure.
The alliance said the repeated bombardment of markets was disrupting livelihoods, destroying local commerce and exposing civilians to increasingly deadly aerial attacks.
Women, children among casualties
Eyewitnesses described scenes of devastation following the strike, with casualties reported among restaurant workers, shopkeepers and children earning a living in the market.
Ahmed Dawoud, a resident of Doumaya, told Darfur24 that a drone fired a missile at the Tangooj night market near Wadi Nyala, along the road connecting Nyala with Kass.
He said civilians working in restaurants and shops were among those killed, alongside children who worked cleaning shoes.
Dawoud also reported military casualties, indicating that both civilians and armed personnel were present in the area.
Residents and emergency workers helped transport wounded people to medical facilities using private vehicles and three-wheeled tuk-tuks.
Some victims suffered severe burns, complicating efforts to identify the dead and recover bodies.
Videos circulated online purportedly showed the aftermath of the bombing, including bodies lying near damaged market stalls. The authenticity and precise location of the footage could not be independently established.
TASIS health ministry mobilises hospitals
Alaaeldin Awad Naqd, health minister in the TASIS Government of Peace and Unity, told Radio Tamazuj that 102 civilians had been killed and 113 wounded in the attack.
He said medical teams were dispatched to the scene immediately after the bombing, while hospitals and healthcare centres were placed on emergency alert to receive casualties.
Naqd accused Sudan’s military of continuing attacks against civilians in Darfur and other conflict-affected regions.
He cited previous strikes on Nyala’s livestock market and attacks in the disputed Abyei region as examples of the growing danger posed by aerial bombardment.
The health ministry appealed to the United Nations and international humanitarian organisations to provide emergency medical supplies and assistance to victims.
It also called for the protection of hospitals, ambulances and medical workers.
The casualty figures released by TASIS could not be independently verified.
A medical worker at Nyala Hospital separately told AFP that at least 21 people had been killed and more than 40 wounded. The medic could not establish how many of the victims were fighters.
TASIS demands international investigation
The Sudan Founding Alliance called for an urgent, independent international investigation into the Doumaya bombing and other reported attacks against civilians.
It said strikes against crowded civilian markets violated international humanitarian law and described the latest incident as a potential war crime and crime against humanity.
The alliance demanded that those responsible be identified and brought to justice, while urging international organisations to intensify efforts to protect civilians in Darfur.
The allegations come as TASIS authorities have begun separate criminal investigations into aerial attacks across Darfur and Kordofan.
Ahmed al-Nour al-Halla, an assistant attorney general in the Government of Peace and Unity, told Radio Tamazuj that an investigative team had begun gathering evidence, interviewing witnesses and preparing criminal cases concerning alleged attacks on civilians.
He said the investigations would examine individual criminal responsibility, including those who ordered or facilitated unlawful attacks.
Escalating bombardment of Nyala
The latest strike follows a series of drone attacks on Nyala, which serves as the administrative capital of the TASIS Government of Peace and Unity.
On October 16, an aerial attack struck the city’s livestock market. Local authorities reported approximately 30 deaths, while Médecins Sans Frontières independently confirmed at least four fatalities and eight injuries.
Sudan Tribune reported that Monday’s bombardment formed part of intensified military operations across Nyala, with strikes also reported against military facilities, residential properties and other locations.
Military sources cited by the publication said the operations were intended to weaken the Rapid Support Forces’ military capabilities ahead of possible ground operations.
TASIS has rejected attacks on civilian infrastructure, warning that continued aerial bombardment risks worsening the humanitarian emergency facing communities across Darfur.
The latest violence comes amid growing international concern over the use of drones in Sudan’s conflict.
According to United Nations figures cited by AFP, drone attacks attributed to the country’s warring parties killed more than 300 people during the first three weeks of October.
The Doumaya strike has renewed calls for international scrutiny of aerial operations and stronger measures to protect civilian populations caught in Sudan’s continuing war.
