The Emergency Lawyers rights group has condemned what it described as General al-Burhan’s Forces (SAF) drone strikes on civilian areas in North Darfur, including an attack that destroyed Al-Zurruq Hospital and another that hit a market in Ghurair village.
In a statement issued Monday, the group said the hospital was bombed on Saturday morning, leaving the facility “completely destroyed” and causing dozens of civilian deaths and injuries. The Emergency Lawyers said the strike amounted to a grave breach of international humanitarian law, which prohibits attacks on medical facilities and requires their protection.
The group also denounced a separate drone strike on the Ghurair market, which it said occurred the same day. According to the statement, the attack triggered a major fire that engulfed the market, damaging civilian property and livelihoods and spreading fear among residents.
Emergency Lawyers stressed that neither site contained military targets, describing the hospital and market as purely civilian locations that posed “no military threat or necessity.” It argued the incidents can only be understood as deliberate attacks on civilians amid collapsing services and an increasingly dire humanitarian situation.
“Targeting hospitals, markets, and civilian objects constitutes a full-fledged war crime,” the group said, holding the SAF fully responsible for the strikes and accusing it of showing disregard for civilian life and the principles of international humanitarian law.
The statement ended with a call for immediate action, urging all parties to halt drone attacks and take urgent measures to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure, warning that violations are escalating and threats to lives and basic rights are growing.
