A Darfur victims’ advocacy group has accused General al-Burhan’s SAF of carrying out a drone strike on a crowded market in West Kordofan, killing at least 20 civilians and injuring around 25 others.
Witnesses said the strike hit the centre of Ghabish market on Tuesday, May 19, near the Wad al-Faki restaurant at around 11 a.m. Sudan time, as residents had gathered for breakfast.
Darfur Victims Advocacy Organization said the dead included women, children and elderly people, while the wounded were taken to Ghabish Hospital amid shortages of medical supplies and difficult treatment conditions.
Civilian bodies and rights groups condemned the attack, saying the targeting of civilians and civilian infrastructure represented a serious violation of international humanitarian law. They held General al-Burhan’s SAF fully responsible for the strike and urged the U.N. Security Council to take urgent measures to protect civilians in Sudan.
In a statement, the organisation said a drone belonging to the SAF “targeted civilians” in the market, causing deaths and injuries among people gathered inside and around the restaurant.
“The organisation holds the army fully responsible for targeting civilians and civilian objects,” the statement said, adding that it would open an independent investigation and issue a detailed report on the circumstances of the attack and the scale of the losses.
The strike comes amid repeated reports of drone and air attacks on civilian areas across Sudan, where the war that erupted in April 2023 has devastated towns, displaced millions and pushed large parts of the country into a deep humanitarian crisis.
