The death toll of civilians following last Friday’s attack on a livestock market in Nyala, the capital of Sudan’s South Darfur State, has risen to 39, with 43 others injured, according to Radio Tamazuj’s monitoring of the incident.
Dr. Alaa al-Din Nugud, health minister in the Tasis government, told this publication that the attack was carried out by a drone belonging to the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) on the livestock market in northern Nyala, killing 22 people instantly and injuring 43 others.
“The targeting of the market on a Friday, when it is typically crowded with shoppers, was intended to inflict the highest possible number of casualties,” he stated. “Medical and health personnel have been working to rescue and treat the wounded since the attack occurred.”
Nugud accused Egypt of facilitating what he described as systematic attacks on Sudanese people using drones launched from its military base at Jebel Al-Owainat, along the Egyptian-Sudanese border.
Sheikh Jumaa Abdel Karim, a representative of the South Darfur Chamber of Commerce, said attacks on markets and civilian gatherings constituted a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law and demonstrated disregard for civilians’ lives, their right to security and safety, and their ability to conduct commercial activities.
“Nyala market is one of the state’s most important commercial and economic centers, and the attack caused substantial economic and material losses,” he said. “We call on the United Nations to intervene to prevent further attacks on civilians who are innocent and unarmed.”
Mohammed Hamdan al-Bishiri, a journalist who witnessed the attack, said the strike occurred at around noon on Friday, killing 30 people instantly and injuring 43 others, some of them seriously.
“The recovery of bodies from beneath the rubble continued for more than two hours after the strike,” he narrated.
Hamdan condemned the aerial attack on the market at a time when it was crowded with shoppers. He also accused Egypt of being responsible for the strike, saying it occurred while the market was bustling with people, particularly on Friday, when families typically shop for household necessities.
Casualty figures reported to this publication have varied significantly, with accounts placing the combined number of people killed and injured between 75 and 110.
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