In what the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) describe as a deliberate and brutal assault on civilians, an SAF airstrike devastated a bustling market in Kab al-Jiddad village, northern Al-Jazira State, on Saturday, November 24.
The attack, carried out by General al-Burhan’s forces (SAF), reportedly left over 20 civilians dead, including women and children, and reduced the market to smoldering ruins.
Kab al-Jiddad, located far from the conflict’s frontlines, had been a peaceful hub for local commerce until Saturday’s tragedy. Eyewitness accounts and harrowing videos shared online show the aftermath: charred bodies, anguished cries of survivors, and flames consuming what remained of the marketplace.
One video, filmed by what appears to be an RSF member, highlighted the devastation, emphasizing the indiscriminate nature of the strike.
The SAF has not officially commented on the incident, but pro-SAF narratives on social media claim the strike targeted RSF fighters allegedly using the market for “illegal activities,” including arms trading.
However, RSF officials have dismissed these claims, denouncing the attack as a “heinous massacre” and asserting that no RSF personnel were present.
“The Rapid Support Forces condemn the targeting of defenseless citizens,” read an RSF statement, which pledged justice for the victims and reiterated the group’s commitment to dismantling the “regime of tyranny and corruption” to build a just and peaceful Sudan.
Observers note that the SAF’s air campaign has increasingly targeted civilian infrastructure in RSF-controlled areas. Markets, seen as economic lifelines, have become frequent targets under the pretext of disrupting RSF supply chains.
Critics argue that these strikes disproportionately harm civilians, with little evidence that they significantly weaken RSF.
The SAF’s reliance on airstrikes reflects its limitations in engaging RSF forces directly.
RSF fighters, known for their mobility and adaptability, often evade conventional military operations. Unable to effectively neutralize RSF combatants in the field, SAF has turned its focus to fixed targets, such as marketplaces and residential areas, to inflict pressure on RSF-controlled regions.
Human rights groups have expressed concern over the rising civilian toll of the conflict, which has devastated large swathes of Darfur, Kordofan, and central Sudan.
Open-source monitoring estimates that thousands of non-combatants have been killed or injured in such attacks since the conflict began.
The RSF has called on the international community to hold the SAF accountable for what it describes as “war crimes.” Meanwhile, the people of Kab al-Jiddad, like many others across Sudan, continue to bear the brunt of a war that shows no signs of abating.
