On a Tuesday in late October, a drone strike reportedly tore through a crowded market in Nyala, the city in South Darfur, with more than a hundred civilians said to have died, a figure so far resting on the account of a rebel-aligned transitional council rather than on independent verification. The same day, drones reached across Sudan's electricity network, striking a substation in Omdurman and leaving lights and taps dark across much of Khartoum and neighbouring states. Such blows are the grim rhythm of a war in which ordinary markets and the ordinary means of keeping a city alive have becom
Drone Strikes Reportedly Kill 100+ at South Darfur Market as Sudan's Power Infrastructure Comes Under Attack
More than 100 civilians were reportedly killed and many injured in a drone strike on a market in Nyala, and power and water outages affected large areas.
Within two days, markets and the power grid were both being hit.
Mark
Start with Nyala. What is actually being reported?
Mimi
A drone strike on Tangong Market in the Dumaya neighbourhood on Tuesday. The Sudan Liberation Movement Transitional Council says more than 100 civilians died and many were hurt. Videos show the market in flames.
Luke
But that number comes from one group. It isn't confirmed by anyone independent in what we have.
Mimi
Correct. And the report notes other sources saying RSF members were among the dead, so even the makeup of the victims is contested.
Mark
Who carried out the strike?
Luke
The source doesn't say. That is a real gap, and we shouldn't fill it.
Mark
Then the Omdurman substation. Why does it matter alongside a market attack?
Mimi
Because the harm is different but widespread. One strike near 05:00 cut power across parts of Khartoum, Omdurman and El Gezira, and knocked out several drinking water stations.
Luke
That one is reportedly attributed to the RSF, which is not the same as proven.
Mark
Is this a pattern?
Mimi
Monday brought strikes on power stations in El Faw, El Hawa, Sennar, White Nile and El Gezira. The UN counted more than 306 drone deaths in the first three weeks of October.
Luke
That UN figure is a recorded count, so it is firmer ground than the Nyala toll. What we still don't know is whether Nyala gets verified.
O Pulso
- A drone strike on Tangong Market in Nyala reportedly killed more than a hundred civilians, with video of the market burning spreading quickly across social media.
- Within two days, drones hit power stations from Khartoum and Omdurman to El Gedaref, Sennar, White Nile and El Gezira, plunging large areas into darkness.
- Several drinking water stations stopped working as the electricity cuts spread, turning a military escalation into a daily threat to thirst and health.
- Claims of responsibility and blame remain unsettled, with reports attributing the Omdurman strike to the RSF while the casualty count awaits independent confirmation.
- A rights leader has called on the warring parties to halt the fighting and agree a humanitarian truce, but no ceasefire is yet in sight as the death toll mounts.
On a Tuesday in late October, a drone strike reportedly tore through a crowded market in Nyala, the city in South Darfur, with more than a hundred civilians said to have died, a figure so far resting on the account of a rebel-aligned transitional council rather than on independent verification. The same day, drones reached across Sudan's electricity network, striking a substation in Omdurman and leaving lights and taps dark across much of Khartoum and neighbouring states. Such blows are the grim rhythm of a war in which ordinary markets and the ordinary means of keeping a city alive have become targets, and in which the question of who fired each weapon remains, for now, a matter of attribution rather than proof.
On Tuesday, a drone strike reportedly hit Tangong Market in Nyala, the South Darfur city, and more than a hundred civilians were said to have been killed. The report came from the Sudan Liberation Movement Transitional Council, which said the strike landed in the Dumaya neighbourhood. Videos shared online showed large parts of the market burning. The casualty figure has not been independently confirmed, and other sources reported that members of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces were among the dead too, though how many, and who carried out the strike, remains unclear.
The same day, nearly a thousand kilometres away, a drone struck the El Markhiyat electricity substation in Omdurman, in Khartoum State, around five in the morning. Eyewitnesses told Radio Dabanga of explosions, then flames and thick smoke rising to the west of the city. Electricity was cut across parts of Khartoum, Omdurman and El Gezira State, and several drinking water stations went offline. The attack was reportedly attributed to the RSF, though that remains an attribution rather than an established finding.
It was not an isolated event. The previous day, drones had targeted power stations in El Faw, El Hawa and Sennar, and hit facilities in White Nile and El Gezira, causing wide power cuts. Wajdi Saleh of the Declaration of Principles told Radio Dabanga that attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure violate international humanitarian law, and urged the warring parties to stop fighting and agree a humanitarian truce. The UN Human Rights Office had already recorded more than 306 deaths from drone attacks in the first three weeks of October. Watch now for independent verification at Tangong Market, and for any answer to the calls for a truce.
On Tuesday, a drone strike reportedly hit Tangong Market in Nyala, the South Darfur city, and more than 100 civilians were said to have been killed. The report comes from the Sudan Liberation Movement Transitional Council, which said the strike landed in the Dumaya neighbourhood and left many others injured. Videos shared on social media showed large parts of the market burning.
The casualty figure has not been independently confirmed in the reporting available. It rests on the account of the Transitional Council. Other sources added a detail that complicates the picture: members of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) were reportedly among the dead as well. The source does not say how many, or who carried out the strike.
The same day, a second attack was reported nearly a thousand kilometres from the Darfur market. At around 05:00, a drone struck the El Markhiyat electricity substation in Omdurman, in Khartoum State. Eyewitnesses told Radio Dabanga they heard explosions, then saw flames and thick smoke rising west of the city.
The damage spread well beyond the substation. Electricity supplies were disrupted across parts of Khartoum, Omdurman and El Gezira State, and several drinking water stations stopped working. The attack was reportedly attributed to the RSF, though the reporting frames that as an attribution rather than an established finding.
It was not an isolated event. On Monday, drones targeted power stations in El Faw and El Hawa in western El Gedaref State, as well as in Sennar State, and hit facilities in White Nile and El Gezira states. Those strikes caused power cuts across large areas. Within two days, markets and the power grid were both being hit.
Wajdi Saleh, a leader of the Declaration of Principles, told Radio Dabanga that attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure amount to serious violations of international humanitarian law. He called on the warring parties to stop fighting, agree a humanitarian truce and work toward a permanent ceasefire.
The broader numbers point the same way. The UN Human Rights Office recorded more than 306 deaths from drone attacks in the first three weeks of October alone. If the Nyala toll is confirmed, it would be a large share of that figure again in a single strike. Watch for independent verification of what happened at Tangong Market, and for any response to the calls for a truce.
Citações Notáveis
Attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure are serious violations of international humanitarian law; the warring parties should agree a humanitarian truce and work toward a permanent ceasefire.— Wajdi Saleh, leader of the Declaration of Principles, to Radio Dabanga (paraphrased)
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