Darfur residents ‘flee homes in panic’ as SAF bombs major cities

On Monday, Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) warplanes bombed several locations in El Geneina, the capital of West Darfur, including the city’s airport and surrounding neighbourhoods. In Nyala, the capital of South Darfur, the Sudanese Air Force launched an airstrike Monday evening, dropping more than ten shells across the city.

Witnesses in El Geneina told Radio Dabanga that no civilian casualties were reported from the airstrike, but the aeroplane appeared to be a new model, based on its sound.

Mohamed Osman, a media official from the West Darfur native administration*, stated yesterday that the attack caused both material and human losses, “including miscarriages among pregnant women and widespread psychological trauma”. The full extent of the damage has not been determined according to the official.

Alaaeldin Babiker, a journalist residing in El Geneina, reported that the warplane began flying at 21.30 on Monday at a high altitude, suggesting it was a more modern aircraft compared to previous raids. The plane dropped three shells in an area east of El Geneina Airport, located in the city’s northeast.

“Although the shells caused no significant damage, they induced panic, with most residents fleeing their homes, believing it was safer to stay outside.” Babiker also noted that people only returned to their homes hours after the aircraft had left the city.

South Darfur

Listeners near El Matar (the airport) neighbourhood in the eastern part of the Nyala told Radio Dabanga that a warplane flew over the city for almost an hour, “dropping about eight barrels”. These barrels reportedly caused little damage, with only one house being destroyed, but the strike spread fear and panic among the residents.

A listener in the El Rahman neighbourhood, adjacent to El Matar, confirmed that about three bombs were dropped around the area though the extent of damage remains unclear.

The warplane also targeted several southern neighbourhoods, including areas near the Nyala Technical School. Some bombs fell close to the Legislative Council building, a Rapid Support Forces (RSF) base in El Matar, and the Jebel Market area, according to Sudan War Monitor.

Nyala has been subjected to numerous airstrikes since the RSF took control of the city on October 26 last year, which has led to hundreds of deaths.

The city’s airport has endured four air raids in the past two weeks, causing significant destruction. These raids coincided with reports of unidentified aircraft landing at the airport. An unidentified aeroplane reportedly landed at Nyala Airport on Sunday night at 00.10 and left an hour later, according to a local source.

* The Native Administration was instituted by British colonial authorities seeking a pragmatic system of governance that allowed for effective control with limited investment and oversight by the state. The state-appointed native administration leaders also took on new responsibilities for executing policies, collecting taxes, and mobilising labour on behalf of the central government. Sudan’s native administration during the 30-year rule of dictator Omar Al Bashir reportedly did not represent the real community leaders. After the outbreak of the war with the Sudanese army in April 2023, the RSF occupied Khartoum, four of the five Darfur states, and El Gezira, where they, except in the Sudanese capital, appointed native administration leaders who are to deal with the management of these states.