Sudanese army drone strike kills 35 at Darfur court, rights group says

What the report says

France 24 Africa reports that Sudan’s army carried out a drone strike on Sunday against a traditional court in Garra al-Zawaya, a village in North Darfur controlled by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The attack, described by the rights monitoring group Emergency Lawyers, hit as civilians were attending local hearings and left 35 people dead, with several others wounded.

According to the report, the court session was being held outdoors under a tree with local community leaders present. A witness quoted by AFP said those killed included tribal leaders and RSF commanders, though the army had not immediately responded to the allegations. The RSF’s self-declared administration condemned the strike and gave a slightly different toll, saying 37 people were killed and 50 wounded.

The village lies near Kabkabiya in a part of Darfur where control has shifted during the war between the army and RSF, which began in April 2023. The article says both sides have increasingly used drones, and the UN has warned that civilian deaths from drone attacks have risen sharply this year. The strike adds to concern over violence in Darfur, where international observers have repeatedly warned of atrocities and mass displacement tied to the wider conflict.