Sudanese army drone strike kills 12 civilians in Nyala clinic

In Sudan, a recent drone strike on a clinic in Nyala, the capital of South Darfur, has resulted in at least 12 confirmed deaths. This attack, carried out by the Sudanese army, occurred around midday on a Saturday and was reportedly directed at a medical facility operating under the control of paramilitary forces. Alongside the drone strike, fierce shelling by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in the city of El-Fasher claimed at least seven lives and injured 71 others, emphasizing the ongoing violence in the region. As hostilities persist, El-Fasher has emerged as a core battleground in the conflict between the Sudanese army and the RSF, which began in April 2023. The RSF has sought to establish dominance in this strategic location, which remains one of the last strongholds under army control in Darfur. Accounts from medical sources indicate that many of those wounded were unable to reach hospitals due to the intensity of the ongoing bombardment, suggesting that casualty figures might rise as the situation develops. To add to the dire humanitarian crisis, local activists report that RSF forces have constructed extensive barriers in El-Fasher, sealing off areas and severely restricting access to essential supplies. Thousands of civilians are left facing acute shortages of food and water amidst heightened violence, with the UN estimating that around 300,000 individuals have been similarly affected. The region's population has been under siege for more than a year, grappling with worsening deprivation and malnutrition. The report indicates that both government and paramilitary forces are targeting civilian facilities, raising alarms about potential human rights violations. Experts have warned of the catastrophic implications for various ethnic groups in the region, particularly the non-Arab Zaghawa tribe. The current circumstances outline a tragic continuation of the violence that has plagued Darfur for years, with fears that previous patterns of mass atrocities may repeat themselves if unrest continues unaddressed.