Drone strike on livestock market in Sudan's Nyala kills 30, wounds 47
A drone struck a livestock market in Nyala in South Darfur on Friday morning, killing 30 people and injuring 47, with neither side accepting blame for it.
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A drone strike on a large livestock market in Nyala city in Sudan's South Darfur province has killed 30 people, as the civil war in the country grows more brutal.
People in Sudan who depend on farming and animals come in large numbers to the market to buy and sell. On Friday morning, too, many had arrived with their animals. Traders had also gathered in large numbers and deals had begun. The market was running as it does every day.
Suddenly a loud noise came from above and a drone fell on the market. There was a huge explosion and 30 people died on the spot. Forty-seven people were injured in the attack. Many animals were also killed.
According to preliminary information from the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), the dead include 17 women and five young children. Fear has gripped Sudan after the attack, and grief over the killing of innocent people is being expressed everywhere. There is now hardly any area in Sudan that is fully safe.
The RSF has blamed the Sudanese army for the attack. The RSF alleges that Turkish-made drones were used to target the market. The Sudanese army has acknowledged carrying out air strikes on RSF command centres and military positions in Nyala, but has not clearly accepted responsibility for the attack on the market.
Neither side has admitted attacking the market, leaving open the question of who dropped the drone on it.
The army and the RSF have been fighting in Sudan since April 2023. The RSF was initially a paramilitary force working under the Sudanese government. It later demanded that it be recognised as a full-time, permanent force in Sudan's military service. The Sudanese army rejected the demand, and the fighting between the two began then.
The RSF is no ordinary rebel group. It is a paramilitary force with its own military strength, structure and political ambitions. The conflict has devastated Sudan's economy, health system and social life. Thousands of civilians have lost their lives so far and millions have been displaced within their own country. According to the United Nations, Sudan is facing one of the world's most serious humanitarian crises.
