Sudan Air Force bombs market in Darfur’s East Jebel Marra

Aerial bombardments in East Jebel Marra on Wednesday caused the death of two men and a woman, and the injury of others. Livestock died, and a number of houses, and shops caught fire. “Anwar Bakhit Adam, Yousif Nur Hamid, and Hanan Musa Bahar (25) burned to death inside their houses when an aircraft of the Sudanese Air Force bombed the Fanga market at about 8pm on Wednesday. Others were injured. 17 donkeys were killed too. Apart from a number of houses, seven shops burned to the ground,” a resident from a neighbouring village told Radio Dabanga. The attack caused great fear and panic among the population, especially the women and children. Many of them fled to the nearby mountains and forests. “Most of them did not return to their homes until late Thursday evening.” The bombing targeted the weekly Fanga market day, and coincided with the closing of the shops, “at a time, when the vendors are anxious to pack their goods and belongings in order to return home,” the villager explained. “The market of Fanga is one of the biggest markets in East Jebel Marra. It is frequented by many villagers in the area, and even by people from Tawila, Shangil Tobaya, and El Fasher.” The villager considered the bombing of the Fanga market “a big crime”, and called upon the UN, the UN Security Council and international community to “intervene and impose a no-fly zone over Darfur, and to bring the perpetrators to justice”. File photo: The market of Kutum in North Darfur (Albert Gonzalez Farran/Unamid)