Drone strike kills at least 21 at market in Sudan's Nyala

A drone strike hit a market in the north of Nyala on Monday evening, killing at least 21 people and wounding about 40 others, according to medical and witness accounts. The attack took place in Sudan's western Darfur region, in a city that serves as the de facto capital of the Rapid Support Forces. Residents said the strike happened at around 8pm local time and caused casualties in a busy commercial area.

A medic at Nyala Hospital said on Tuesday that 21 people were killed in the bombing and more than 40 were injured. The AFP news agency reported the toll, citing a medical source and witnesses. One resident said the market was frequented by armed men, particularly RSF fighters, although the reports did not say who carried out the strike.

The timing and location suggest the attack struck an area with both civilian and armed presence. Nyala has been a repeated target in Sudan's war, which began in April 2023 between the Sudanese military and the RSF. The city is strategically important because it is the RSF's main stronghold in Darfur and the site of an administration that rivals the military-backed government in Khartoum.

Regular strikes on the city have made it one of the conflict's most exposed urban centres. The latest attack adds to the civilian toll in a war that has repeatedly hit populated areas. The incident matters because markets are central to daily life and are often crowded at the time of attacks, increasing the risk of mass casualties.

It also underlines the continuing reach of the conflict into western Sudan, where control of territory and local administration remains contested. Any strike in Nyala carries wider significance because of the city's role in the RSF's wartime structure and its position in Darfur. The attack may also deepen fears among residents already living under repeated bombardment.

What remains unclear is who launched the drone strike and whether the market was being used for any military purpose at the time. There has been no immediate public claim of responsibility in the supplied reports. Further reporting will be needed to confirm the full death toll, the condition of the wounded and whether the attack was part of a broader wave of strikes.

The situation in Nyala is likely to remain fluid as the war continues and both sides maintain competing claims over the city.

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