A drone attack on an open market south of Sudan’s capital, Khartoum, has resulted in the death of at least 43 people, with over 55 others wounded, according to activists and the Sudan Doctors’ Union. The attack occurred in Khartoum’s May neighborhood, an area where paramilitary forces have been in conflict with the military.
The ongoing conflict in Sudan began in mid-April when tensions between the country’s military, led by Gen. Abdel Fattah Burhan, and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), commanded by Gen. Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, escalated into open fighting. Both factions have been accused of indiscriminate shelling and airstrikes, causing widespread devastation in the Greater Khartoum area.
The conflict has also spread to other parts of the country, including ethnic violence in the western Darfur region. Human rights groups and the United Nations have reported attacks on ethnic African groups by the RSF and allied Arab militias.
As of August, the conflict had claimed over 4,000 lives, although the actual toll is believed to be much higher, according to doctors and activists.
The RSF has blamed the military’s air force for the recent drone attack, but verification of these claims remains challenging amid the ongoing conflict. Sudan continues to grapple with violence and instability, with civilians caught in the crossfire and facing dire humanitarian conditions.