Drone strike in Sudan’s Nyala kills at least 21, injures 40

A drone strike hit a market in Nyala, a major city in Sudan’s Darfur region. At least 21 people died, and more than 40 others were injured. The attack shows how Sudan’s war is reaching places where civilians and armed groups gather together.

The strike happened at about 8pm local time on Monday. A resident said it hit a market in northern Nyala. A medic at Nyala Hospital confirmed the death toll and injuries. Another resident said armed men, especially RSF fighters, often used the market.

The Sudanese military regularly strikes Nyala because the RSF controls the city. Both sides are increasingly using drones in the war. The latest attack adds to a wider civilian crisis involving mass displacement, hunger, disrupted electricity, and warnings about famine.

Nyala is a city in Sudan’s Darfur region. It matters strategically because it serves as the de facto capital of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, or RSF. The city is therefore more than a population center. It is also linked to the RSF’s political and military control in Darfur.

The RSF has declared an administration in Nyala that rivals Sudan’s military-backed, internationally recognised government in Khartoum. That makes the city a visible center of competing authority. A resident also said its market was frequented by armed men, particularly RSF fighters.

Because of this role, Nyala is regularly targeted by the Sudanese military. The drone strike on the market caused at least 21 deaths and more than 40 injuries. Its position in the conflict means attacks there can affect civilians, fighters, local services, and the wider struggle for control of Darfur.

The Rapid Support Forces are a paramilitary force in Sudan. The article identifies the RSF as one of the two main armed sides in the country’s war, alongside the Sudanese military. It does not provide a fuller history or organisational structure for the group.

The RSF controls Nyala, a city in Darfur, and has declared an administration there that rivals the military-backed, internationally recognised government in Khartoum. This political claim, combined with control of the city, makes Nyala the RSF’s de facto capital. Its market was also reportedly frequented by RSF fighters.

That status helps explain why the Sudanese military regularly strikes Nyala. The latest reported strike hit a market and killed at least 21 people, while injuring more than 40. The city has therefore become both a center of RSF authority and a place exposed to repeated military attacks.

Sudan’s wider crisis extends far beyond the Nyala strike. The war has killed tens of thousands of people and displaced more than 13 million. The article describes the conflict as having created the world’s largest hunger and displacement crises, showing how deeply fighting has disrupted civilian life.

Food access is also worsening. The United States, European Union, and 30 other countries warned of an “alarming deterioration” in food access. They called for urgent action to prevent famine and urged the groups fighting the war to remove obstacles to humanitarian assistance.

The crisis is connected to both violence and damaged services. Drone attacks have struck power stations, cutting electricity to millions in several states. Markets and infrastructure are also being hit. Unless aid can reach people and the fighting eases, displacement, hunger, and famine risks are likely to remain severe.

The Sudanese military and the Rapid Support Forces have been fighting since April 2023. The article identifies the trigger as a dispute over how the two forces should be integrated. That disagreement erupted into clashes in Sudan’s capital, Khartoum, and became a nationwide civil war.

The conflict now involves competing authorities and attacks across several regions. The RSF has declared an administration rivaling the military-backed government in Khartoum. The military regularly strikes Nyala, the RSF’s de facto capital in Darfur. Both sides are also using drones against distant targets.

The consequences have been enormous. Tens of thousands have been killed, more than 13 million displaced, and hunger has reached crisis levels. The fighting has also damaged electricity infrastructure and obstructed aid. International governments are calling for humanitarian access and urgent action to prevent famine.

Sudan’s warring sides are increasingly turning to drone warfare. The article does not give a specific reason for that shift, but it shows that drones allow attacks against targets far from the immediate front lines. Their use is expanding the conflict’s reach and putting essential services at risk.

The Sudanese military struck a market in Nyala, where the RSF has its de facto capital. The RSF launched attacks targeting Khartoum’s airport, dams, and power stations. It also struck the al-Markhiyat transformer station, while coordinated attacks hit six other power stations.

These targets have major civilian effects. The power attacks cut electricity to millions in Khartoum, Gezira, White Nile, Sennar, and Gadarif. A government drone attack in a disputed Sudan-South Sudan border region killed more than 150 people. Continued drone use threatens to spread harm beyond battlefields and vital facilities.

Civilian life becomes more dangerous when war reaches markets, power stations, and other infrastructure. Markets can contain shoppers, workers, and armed men at the same time. A strike there can cause mass casualties, while damage to power systems can disrupt hospitals, homes, businesses, and essential services.

The Nyala market attack killed at least 21 people and injured more than 40. RSF drone strikes on power stations cut electricity to millions in Khartoum, Gezira, White Nile, Sennar, and Gadarif. Another strike on the al-Markhiyat transformer station disrupted supplies across large parts of Khartoum and Gezira.

These effects deepen an already severe humanitarian crisis. Sudan has seen tens of thousands of deaths and more than 13 million displaced people. With food access deteriorating and aid obstructed, damaged infrastructure can increase hunger and make famine prevention even harder.