An alarming report by NOHRVS condemns SAF’s attacks on Sudanese cities

The National Observatory for Human Rights Violations – Sudan revealed serious violations committed by the Sudanese Army against civilians and human rights violations by bombing several Sudanese cities and villages, which resulted in hundreds of casualties and wounded thousands.

The National Observatory stated in a recent alarming report that the Sudanese Army’s warplanes have intensified their airstrikes on civilians in residential neighborhoods, markets and public facilities over the past four days, resulting in more than (133) deaths in various parts of the country.

On Sunday, the Army’s warplanes bombed the (Ammonia) fuel station in Mayo, (New Sitta Market), south of Khartoum, and north of (Bashair) Teaching Hospital, south of Khartoum. The attack claimed the lives of (28) civilians and left (37) others injured, according to a preliminary report. Among the injured, (29) suffered burn injuries, three of which were first-degree burns—while eight sustained shrapnel wounds.

The report added that on Monday, the Sudanese Army’s warplanes targeted Kabkabiya Market in North Darfur, resulting in the death of more than (30) civilians instantly, in addition, (50) others were wounded.

The Army’s warplanes also dropped barrel bombs on residential neighborhoods in Um Rawaba, North Kordofan, which led to the martyrdom of dozens of women and children.

Last Friday, the Army’s warplanes bombed (Al-Gash) Market and (Shambat Al-Hilla) Mosque, coinciding with Friday prayers, which left a trail of carnage and horrific scenes of charred corpses of women and children as the attack claimed the lives of dozens of civilians and wounded others.

The city of Al-Koma, located in North Darfur, also witnessed an airstrike carried out by the Army, which resulted in a number of casualties and injuries among citizens, according to the National Observatory report.

The report explained that last Monday, the Army’s warplanes launched four airstrikes on the city of Nyala, the capital of South Darfur state, leading to the deaths of more than a hundred people and wounding numerous others in different parts of the city’s neighborhoods, most of whom were children, women and the elderly, as a result of the attacks that targeted -primarily- residential neighborhoods, public facilities in the city as well as hospitals.

The Observatory condemned the targeting of civilians by warplanes, and appealed to the United Nations and relevant international organizations to take immediate action to ensure civilian protection. It called on both parties to the conflict to cease hostilities and engage in negotiations in order to end the ongoing conflict.

The National Observatory shared in its report that targeting (Shambat Al-Hilla) Mosque during Friday prayers is irrefutable evidence of the deliberate targeting of worshipers at a time when there are many people inside the Mosque, thus launching an attack at this specific time frame promises the largest number of casualties.

The report reiterated that the protection of civilians during armed conflict is a fundamental duty enshrined in all international conventions and agreements. Targeting civilians is a war crime punishable by law. In light of the current famine, ensuring humanitarian access, opening safe corridors for their passage, and accelerating these measures are crucial steps that would help alleviate the suffering of citizens.

The Observatory continued to state in its report, “Day by day, as the bombing of civilians in specific areas continues, the pattern of the Sudanese Army’s warplanes targeting residential neighborhoods with aerial bombardment becomes increasingly clear. The repeated nature of these attacks negates any justification of error.”

The observatory warned against the ongoing selective bombing practiced by the Sudanese Army in certain areas of Sudan, driven by ethnic and racist motives, which not only increases the mass number of civilian casualties but also exacerbates the continuation of the war.