35 dead as Sudanese army drone strike hits Darfur civil court, rights group says

Sudan plunged into all-out war in April 2023 between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces and the Sudanese military, leaving at least 59,000 people killed, according to Armed Conflict Location & Event Data, a conflict monitoring group. Picture: Getty Images.

At least 35 people were killed in a Sudanese army drone strike on a civil court in Sudan’s Darfur region, a rights group has said.

Emergency Lawyers, an independent group documenting atrocities in Sudan, said that on Sunday afternoon drones targeted the headquarters of the civil court in Al-Zawiya Gara village in North Darfur State, “a civilian facility that plays a judicial and social role in the region”.

“Directing attacks against civilians and civilian objects constitutes a grave violation of international humanitarian law,” said the group in a statement, as it demanded an investigation.

Sudan plunged into all-out war in April 2023 between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces and the Sudanese military, leaving at least 59,000 people killed, according to Armed Conflict Location & Event Data, a conflict monitoring group.

Aid groups say the figure is an undercount and the true number could be many times higher.

Drone warfare has become a signature in the country’s battle, with both sides carrying out strikes.

It is now the leading cause of death in Sudan, according to the United Nations, accounting for 80% of civilian deaths during the first four months of 2026.

The Sudanese army did not respond to requests for comment.