Sudanese army drone strike on customary court in North Darfur kills at least 35
A Sudanese army drone strike hit a customary court in North Darfur, killing at least 35 people gathered for local land and family hearings, according to a rights group. Among the dead were four tribal leaders and two commanders from the rival Rapid Support Forces, which controls
A Sudanese Armed Forces drone strike hit a customary court in the village of Garra al-Zawaya, North Darfur, on August 2, while residents had gathered to hear rulings on local land and family disputes. At least 35 people were killed, according to a rights group and multiple witnesses, with some reports citing as many as 37 dead and dozens wounded. Among the dead were four tribal leaders and two commanders from the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, which controls the territory. The RSF and Sudan's army have been at war since April 2023, in a conflict that has displaced millions. The village hit by this strike was under RSF control at the time, meaning the gathering hit was in a civilian, non-military setting. The United Nations has said more than 1,000 civilians have been killed in drone strikes in Sudan in just the first five months of this year, a scale that shows how far the war has moved beyond front-line combat: both the army and the RSF now routinely use armed drones to strike gatherings and infrastructure well behind the fighting itself. Per Al Jazeera, France 24 and UN News.