The Government of Peace and Unity's health ministry says an army drone strike on a night market in Nyala killed 188 people. Médecins Sans Frontières says the hospital it supports received 36 bodies; neither total has been independently verified.
The health ministry of the Tasis-led Government of Peace and Unity said on 27 October that a drone strike on a crowded night market in Nyala, South Darfur, had killed 188 people and injured 356, Radio Dabanga reported. That revised an earlier figure of 102 dead and 113 wounded. The ministry said its figures came from health facilities and medical teams on the ground and could change.
The strike hit the Tangooj night market in the Doumaya area of western Nyala at about 20:00 on Monday 26 October, as traders, workers and residents gathered. Local reports said those affected included women selling tea, snacks and falafel.
Conflicting figures
Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) said Nyala Teaching Hospital, which it supports, received 36 bodies, 21 of them in civilian clothing. Its teams treated more than 150 wounded people, many with shrapnel wounds and severe burns, who arrived by tuk-tuk and donkey cart. MSF attributed the strike to the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and said a second strike hit a residential neighbourhood.
As The Sudan Times noted, MSF's figures cover one hospital and cannot confirm or disprove the wider toll. A medical worker separately told AFP that at least 21 people had been killed. Sudan Tribune reported that armed personnel were also present at the market and that military sites elsewhere in Nyala were hit in the same operation.
Tasis calls for an inquiry
The Sudan Founding Alliance (Tasis) accused forces under army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan of deliberately targeting civilian markets in areas it administers. It called the attack a potential war crime and demanded an urgent, independent international investigation, according to The Sudan Times. Health minister Alaaeldin Awad Naqd appealed to the UN and aid agencies for emergency medical supplies and called for the protection of hospitals and ambulances.
The civilian administration in South Darfur also condemned the strike. The rights group Emergency Lawyers, which reported the earlier toll, likewise called for an independent investigation.
Context
Nyala is the seat of the Government of Peace and Unity, led by Prime Minister Mohamed Hassan al-Taishi. The SAF has stepped up air operations against the city this month and says it is targeting RSF positions and command centres. On 16 October a strike hit Nyala's livestock market; local authorities reported about 30 deaths, while MSF confirmed at least four.
The gap between the totals highlights the need for independent access to verify civilian casualties. MSF has urged all parties to protect markets, homes and essential services.
Photo: Market street and post office in Nyala, South Darfur, 2012. Leovdvxxx, via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.