Drone Strike at Sudan-Chad Border Market Kills Four, Injures Dozens
A drone strike has struck a border market in Sudan's Darfur region, resulting in the deaths of four civilians and injuries to more than two dozen others, according to medical reports. The attack occurred on Thursday at the Adikong border market in West Darfur, near the frontier with Chad, and involved explosions that targeted fuel reserves.
Medical Group Reports Casualties
Doctors Without Borders, known as MSF, confirmed the casualties, stating that 23 people were injured, including seven children and four women. Gado Mahamadou, the MSF head of mission in Chad, attributed the strike to the Sudanese army, noting that this marks the second fatal drone attack in Adikong in less than a month.
Escalating Drone Warfare in Sudan
The conflict in Sudan, which erupted in April 2023 after tensions between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the army escalated into fighting in Khartoum, has spread across the country. The war has claimed over 40,000 lives, according to United Nations figures, though aid groups warn this is likely an undercount, with the true number potentially much higher.
Darfur and Kordofan regions have become epicenters of the conflict, with drone attacks frequently reported in Kordofan. Analysts and humanitarian workers have noted a surge in drone strikes in Kordofan, which are taking a growing toll on civilians and hindering aid operations.
International Concerns and Recent Incidents
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) warned on Thursday that increasing drone strikes across Sudan are exacting a growing toll on civilians. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk expressed alarm, citing reports that more than 200 civilians have been killed by drones since March 4 alone in the Kordofan region and White Nile state.
In a related incident on Wednesday, a drone strike blamed on the RSF hit a secondary school and a healthcare center in southern Sudan's White Nile province, killing at least 17 people, mostly schoolgirls.
Military Response and Anonymity
The Sudanese military has not released an official statement regarding the Adikong strike. However, two officials, speaking on condition of anonymity due to lack of authorization to brief the media, indicated that there were military operations in the area aimed at targeting the RSF.
This attack underscores the devastating impact of drone warfare on civilian populations in Sudan, as the conflict continues to intensify with no immediate resolution in sight.
