A rights report has accused General al-Burhan’s army(SAF) of carrying out deadly drone and air strikes against civilians across Darfur, warning of a severe deterioration in humanitarian and security conditions as Sudan’s war approaches its fourth year.
The report, issued by the Justice Center for Studies and Research and reviewed by Radio Dabanga, documents a sharp escalation in grave human rights violations during December 2025, with South and North Darfur identified as the hardest-hit areas. It says markets, residential neighborhoods and civilian gatherings have increasingly become direct targets of SAF aerial operations, amid the near-total collapse of civilian protection.
SAF drone and air strikes hit markets and civilian gatherings
According to the report, SAF significantly expanded its use of drones and air power in Darfur during December, carrying out strikes in Nyala, Katila, Kutum and Al-Malha that caused mass civilian casualties.
On December 8, an SAF drone strike hit a large public gathering in Katila locality, killing more than 90 civilians, including women and children, and injuring dozens more. On December 25, another SAF drone crashed into the fuel market in Nyala, killing and wounding civilians and causing widespread destruction of shops and private property.
In North Darfur, SAF drones struck Al-Malha market, killing 10 people, and later bombed Kutum market, leaving two civilians dead and nine injured, including a child wounded inside his home. The report describes these attacks as indiscriminate or disproportionate, noting that they repeatedly targeted civilian sites with no apparent military necessity, in violation of international humanitarian law.
The report also links SAF air operations to the transformation of markets and densely populated neighborhoods into zones of constant fear, forcing civilians to avoid public spaces critical for survival.
Extrajudicial killings and insecurity on the ground
Beyond air and drone strikes, the report documents widespread lawlessness across Darfur, including incidents of extrajudicial killings in towns and rural areas. Civilians were killed in Kabkabiya while returning from collecting firewood or traveling to markets.
In Nyala, trader Adam Haroun was shot dead by unidentified gunmen traveling in a military vehicle, underscoring what the report describes as the complete breakdown of security and accountability in urban centers.
RSF abuses: looting and arbitrary detention
While focusing heavily on SAF aerial attacks, the report also documents a pattern of abuses by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), particularly in areas under their control.
These include kidnappings for ransom in Nyala and Kabkabiya, where armed men wearing RSF uniforms abducted traders and demanded hundreds of millions of Sudanese pounds for their release. The report attributes the incidents to RSF-linked forces, though RSF has previously claimed some perpetrators were “pretenders” impersonating its fighters. In Kabkabiya, an armed group stormed the home of trader Abdelaziz Abdelrahman Rahma and detained him while demanding ransom and threatening execution.
RSF attacks on villages and markets in North Darfur were also reported, including the looting of livestock and shops, the destruction of water sources, and the forced displacement of civilians. The report says RSF control over major trade routes, attacks on civilian trucks, and the abduction and killing of traders have brought commerce and livelihoods close to collapse.
Displacement, hunger and collapse of health services
The humanitarian situation continues to deteriorate sharply. Displacement camps in Tawila locality are suffering acute shortages of food and clean water, the near-total collapse of health services, and the spread of disease.
In Nyala, more than 13 kidney failure patients died after a dialysis center was shut down for a week due to disputes over operating costs, highlighting the deadly consequences of the broader collapse of essential services amid ongoing violence.
Call for accountability
The report concludes that continued SAF air and drone strikes on civilian areas, combined with abuses on the ground, are driving Darfur toward deeper humanitarian catastrophe. It warns that the absence of accountability and the persistence of impunity will lead to further mass civilian casualties.
It calls on the United Nations and the international community to urgently strengthen civilian protection, ensure the opening of safe humanitarian corridors, support independent investigations, and hold all perpetrators accountable.
The report urges all parties, particularly General al-Burhan’s army (SAF), to immediately halt air and drone attacks on civilian areas and comply with international humanitarian law.
