The war in Sudan has now raged on for an unrelenting five months. The conflict pits the army’s leader, General Al Burhane, against the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) under General Mohamed Hamdan Daglo. The United Nations has once again implored the warring factions to spare the lives of civilians.
This week, the city of Nyala, the capital of South Darfur and the country’s third-largest city, bore the brunt of the hostilities, as recounted by a resident who works for a non-governmental organization (NGO). The city has witnessed an influx of RSF fighters, a surge in weaponry, more vehicles, and constant movement of paramilitary forces.
Even the Sudanese army, he adds, appears to have altered its tactics. “These attacks are a daily occurrence, typically commencing at 7 a.m. and lasting until 9 a.m., then resuming at 6 p.m. The regular army carries out aerial bombings, ostensibly targeting RSF positions. However, regrettably, on Wednesday, they bombed two markets in the city, Ashabi and Malja. There were no paramilitary forces present, only civilians, and several houses in the vicinity were destroyed.”
According to multiple sources, approximately forty civilians lost their lives on that fateful day. On Thursday, two residential neighborhoods in the city were targeted, with a provisional tally indicating at least 18 civilian casualties. According to an NGO, over half of Nyala’s residents have departed in recent weeks, leaving many homes vacant.