Sudan Drone Strike Near Market Kills 80 in al-Dibab, Witness Says
A drone reportedly struck a transport hub twice as commuters waited to travel home, and a witness says he helped bury 50 bodies
By AXY War & Crime Desk ·
Key points
- A drone strike near a market in al-Dibab, West Kordofan state, Sudan, killed 80 people on Sunday evening, mostly commuters heading home, according to a witness and a medical source cited by The Guardian.
- The witness, Ahmed Wadi, said the drone struck twice, about 10 minutes apart, on a transport hub where people gathered after market day.
- The RSF-declared administration, known as Tasis, accused the army of carrying out the strike, but the source material does not include an independent confirmation.
- The source material says drone strikes caused at least 880 civilian deaths between January and April, more than 80% of civilian conflict deaths in that period.
- A communications blackout and limited access make it difficult to verify casualty counts independently.
A drone strike near a market in al-Dibab, a town in West Kordofan state in Sudan, killed 80 people on Sunday evening, most of them commuters who had gathered to catch rides home, according to a witness and a medical source cited by The Guardian. The witness, Ahmed Wadi, said the attack left “50 bodies who I helped bury, one of them my own brother Mohamed.” He said the drone struck twice, about 10 minutes apart, on a transport hub “where people gather to travel back to their villages after the market day ends.” The attack is one of the deadliest single strikes in a war that has ravaged Sudan since April 2023, and it adds to a growing concern about how drones are being used in populated areas.
What the witness and medical source described
Wadi said he was able to share information about the attack by using a satellite internet connection, which allowed him to get around a communications blackout in the area. He said 47 other people were transported to the nearest town, al-Mujlad. A medical source, who requested anonymity for his safety, said 30 of those people had died from their injuries. The medic also said: “A total of 80 people were killed in the drone strike on al-Dibab, and another drone strike on al-Mujlad injured four who are currently being treated.”
The account from the medical source gives a total of 80 deaths for the strike on al-Dibab. The 30 people who died after being moved to al-Mujlad appear to be part of that total, according to the way the source described the figures. The timing of the strike, late on a Sunday, and the fact that many victims were people travelling after a day at market are the main details that the witness and medical source agree on in broad terms. Beyond those points, the reporting available so far is limited to what these two sources were able to tell The Guardian.
Why the death toll figures differ
The accounts do not present identical numbers, and it is worth reading them carefully. Wadi described 50 bodies that he helped bury. The medical source gave a total of 80 deaths. These figures can both be accurate in different ways, since a witness may only describe the bodies he personally handled, while a medical source may be drawing on a wider count from hospitals, relatives or local officials. The source material does not explain how many of the 80 people were buried on the day, how many were recovered elsewhere, or how the total was compiled.
These kinds of gaps are common after attacks in areas with limited access. Bodies may be buried quickly for religious and practical reasons. Relatives may be scattered or unable to travel to report deaths. Medical facilities may be overwhelmed, and those who are injured may be moved to other towns, where they can die days later. When a communications blackout is in place, it becomes harder for any single source to confirm numbers, and early tolls are often revised as more information emerges. Readers should treat the figure of 80 as the best available figure from the sources cited, rather than a final count.
Why transport hubs and markets matter to daily life
A transport hub, in the sense used in the reporting, is a place where people wait for vehicles or lifts to carry them between towns and villages. In rural areas of Sudan, markets are central to economic life. People travel to them to buy supplies, sell livestock, crops and other goods, and then depend on informal transport to return home before nightfall. Wadi’s description of people gathering after market day to head back to their villages suggests that the victims were ordinary people at the end of a working day rather than combatants. According to the witness, that is what made the scene so deadly.
The location of the strike also shows why such attacks matter beyond the immediate death toll. Markets and transport points are where large numbers of people gather at predictable times. If these places are repeatedly hit, families may be reluctant to travel, traders may stop going to markets, and goods may stop moving. That can deepen food insecurity and make it harder for people to reach health care, schools and relatives. Aid agencies often warn that when essential routes and markets become unsafe, the humanitarian consequences spread far beyond the people directly struck.
The communications blackout described in the source material compounds these problems. When phone and internet networks are cut or unreliable, families struggle to find missing relatives, medical teams find it harder to coordinate care, and journalists and aid groups have difficulty confirming what has happened. The fact that Wadi used satellite internet to send information shows how isolated communities can rely on unusual channels to reach the outside world, and how much of what is known about such attacks depends on a small number of people willing and able to speak.
Who is blamed and why the claims cannot yet be settled
The RSF-declared administration, known as Tasis, accused the army of carrying out Sunday’s strike, according to the source material. The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) is a paramilitary force that has been fighting the Sudanese armed forces (SAF) since April 2023. The SAF is the national army. The RSF grew out of militias that had been active in the Darfur region for years, and the two forces had been partners in the military takeover of October 2021 before a dispute over the planned integration of the RSF into the army led to open war. The source material notes that all of West Kordofan state is under RSF control. That means the strike hit an area held by the group whose administration has accused the army of responsibility.
The source material does not include an independent confirmation of who launched the drone, nor does it report a response from the army to this particular attack. Without an on-the-ground investigation, it is difficult to test competing claims about who was responsible. Reports from Sudan are often shaped by the access each side has to the area, which means that official statements from either party should be read as positions rather than verified findings.
The pattern of mutual accusations is a recurring feature of the conflict. The source material points to a strike on a busy livestock market in Nyala, the capital of South Darfur state, on the Friday before the al-Dibab attack. After that incident, the SAF said it had killed RSF fighters, while the RSF accused the military of killing 30 civilians. In such cases, each side often describes its targets as military, while civilians and local witnesses describe heavy losses among non-combatants. Independent investigators would normally need to visit the sites, examine evidence and interview survivors before a conclusion could be reached, and the source material does not indicate that such access has been granted.
Drones and the rise in civilian deaths
Drones have become a more visible part of the war in Sudan. The source material states that between January and April, drone strikes accounted for at least 880 civilian deaths, which it says was more than 80% of all conflict-related civilian deaths in Sudan over that period. Drones are generally cheaper than manned aircraft, can be operated from a distance, and can be used to target specific locations. However, they can still cause mass casualties when they strike markets, roads or gatherings of people, particularly in areas where air defences are weak or absent.
The scale of the earlier figures helps explain why the al-Dibab attack has drawn attention. If drone strikes already accounted for most civilian deaths in the period cited, a single strike that kills 80 people would add sharply to that toll. Analysts who study armed conflicts often argue that the spread of such weapons increases risks for civilians, because it becomes possible to strike far from front lines and in places where people do not expect to be targeted. Analysts may also argue that attacks like this one could increase pressure for stronger protection of civilians, restrictions on the use of explosive weapons in populated areas, and independent inquiries. These are possible outcomes rather than confirmed developments, and the material does not describe any formal response from international bodies.
How the war began and why it has spread
The war in Sudan began in April 2023, when a power struggle between the SAF, headed by Gen Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the RSF, led by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, erupted into violence in the capital, Khartoum. The dispute grew out of earlier tensions between the two forces about how the RSF would be merged into the army and who would control the transition to civilian rule. What began as fighting in the capital spread across large parts of the country, including Darfur and Kordofan, where both sides have been accused of attacks on civilians.
The source material says the fighting has killed hundreds of thousands of people and displaced many more. It also says the war has been fuelled by foreign powers with vested interests who support different sides. Those external backers have been a persistent feature of the conflict, and analysts often argue that the flow of weapons and funding makes it harder for either side to lose its ability to fight. For ordinary Sudanese, the effects have included displacement, hunger, disrupted health services and the loss of family members, as the report on the al-Dibab attack illustrates.
What to watch next
Several questions will shape what happens after the al-Dibab strike. The first is whether independent investigators, including humanitarian agencies or international bodies, will be able to reach al-Dibab and al-Mujlad to verify casualties and examine evidence. Access in both towns may be limited, and the communications blackout may continue to make it harder to gather accurate information.
The second question is whether either side will publicly acknowledge the strike or open an investigation. The RSF-declared administration has already blamed the army, and the source material does not show a response from the SAF to this attack. Official statements, if issued, may offer more clarity, though they will need to be weighed against each side’s interests.
The third question is whether attacks on markets and transport routes continue. If they do, families may avoid travelling or trading, which would affect food supplies and local economies in West Kordofan and other areas. Readers should watch for new casualty figures, statements from the SAF and the RSF-declared administration, and reports from humanitarian organisations working in West Kordofan and South Darfur. These sources will indicate whether the death toll changes, whether the strike is investigated, and whether it leads to any form of accountability for those responsible.
Questions and answers
How many people were killed in the drone strike in al-Dibab?
A medical source said 80 people were killed in the drone strike on al-Dibab. A witness, Ahmed Wadi, said he helped bury 50 bodies after the attack.
Who is blamed for the drone strike in al-Dibab?
The RSF-declared administration, known as Tasis, accused the army of carrying out Sunday’s strike. The source material does not include an independent confirmation of who launched the drone.
Why are drone strikes so deadly in Sudan?
The source material says drone strikes accounted for at least 880 civilian deaths between January and April, more than 80% of conflict-related civilian deaths in that period. Drones can cause mass casualties when they hit crowded places such as markets and transport hubs.
What happens next after the al-Dibab drone strike?
Key questions include whether independent investigators can reach al-Dibab and al-Mujlad, whether either side will acknowledge or investigate the strike, and whether attacks on markets and transport routes continue.
Topics: Sudan, al-Dibab, West Kordofan, Rapid Support Forces, Sudanese armed forces, drone strikes, civilian casualties
Sources: The Guardian Africa
https://axynewsglobal.com/article/sudan-drone-strike-near-market-kills-80-in-al-dibab-witness-says