At least 38 people have been killed in a drone attack by Sudanese paramilitaries in the western Darfur region, local activists reported on Sunday, revising earlier death tolls. The attack, carried out by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), targeted the city centre of El-Fasher, the capital of North Darfur state, with four high-explosive missiles.
The RSF has been engaged in fierce battles with Sudan’s regular army since mid-April 2023. El-Fasher has been besieged by the paramilitary group since May, with the city becoming a key battleground in the larger conflict for control of Darfur. While the RSF controls most of Darfur, the regular army has maintained hold over parts of the north and east of Sudan, and both sides are vying for dominance over the war-torn capital, Khartoum, which lies around 1,000 kilometres east of El-Fasher.
In a separate attack on Friday, a drone strike by the RSF hit the Saudi Hospital in El-Fasher, killing nine people and wounding 20. The assault forced the hospital to cease operations. The health ministry, aligned with the army, condemned the attack, stating that it struck key areas within the facility.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has condemned the ongoing violence against healthcare facilities, with WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus calling the attacks “deplorable.” He urged all parties to halt attacks on medical sites and protect patients and healthcare workers.
The conflict between the army and the RSF has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths and the displacement of more than 11 million people, creating a severe humanitarian crisis. Both sides have been accused of indiscriminately targeting civilians and bombing residential areas, exacerbating the suffering of Sudan’s population.
The United Nations has described the situation as one of the worst humanitarian disasters in recent memory. Sudan’s army also launched one of its deadliest airstrikes last week, hitting a market in North Darfur, which killed more than 100 people, according to a pro-democracy lawyers’ group.
