Conflicts · Garra al-Zawaya and El-Fasher
Drone strike on Darfur village court kills 35, rights group accuses Sudanese army
A midday drone attack hit a traditional court in Garra al-Zawaya, North Darfur, where civilians had gathered for local hearings. Emergency Lawyers said the army was responsible; the RSF reported 37 dead and 50 wounded.
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In brief
Emergency Lawyers reported 35 people killed when a drone hit a traditional court in Garra al-Zawaya, North Darfur, around 1pm local time on Sunday, 2 August.
The rights group accused the Sudanese army of the strike. The RSF called it a 'horrible crime' and reported 37 dead and 50 wounded.
A witness told AFP that four tribal chiefs and two RSF commanders were among those killed during the court session held under a tree.
The UN says more than 1,000 civilians were killed in drone strikes in the first five months of 2026, as both sides increasingly rely on unmanned aircraft.
The conflict that began in April 2023 has killed tens of thousands, displaced more than 11 million people, and created the world's largest humanitarian crisis, per the UN.
- April 2023Civil war erupts between the Sudanese army and the RSF.
- October 2025RSF captures el-Fasher, the army's last Darfur stronghold, after a bloody offensive.
- First five months of 2026Over 1,000 civilians killed in drone strikes, according to the UN.
- 2 AugDrone strike hits a traditional court in Garra al-Zawaya, killing at least 35 people.
A drone strike on a traditional court in the village of Garra al-Zawaya in Sudan's North Darfur state killed at least 35 people on Sunday, 2 August, according to the rights group Emergency Lawyers. The attack occurred around 1pm local time (11:00 GMT) while civilians had assembled under a tree to attend hearings on local cases and disputes. The group, which documents abuses by both sides in the three-year civil war, accused the regular Sudanese army of carrying out the strike.
The attack
The court building, a traditional institution used to resolve local and tribal feuds, was damaged in the strike. A witness who spoke to the AFP news agency on condition of anonymity said the session was being held with the participation of local community leaders. Among the dead were four tribal chiefs and two commanders of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), the witness added.
“Civilians had gathered to attend hearings on a number of local cases and disputes.”
The village lies under RSF control, near the town of Kabkabiya, about 150 kilometres west of el-Fasher. El-Fasher was the army's last stronghold in Darfur before the RSF captured it during a bloody offensive in October 2025.
Reactions
The Sudanese army did not immediately respond to the accusation. The self-proclaimed RSF government condemned the attack, calling it a "horrible crime," and reported that 37 people had been killed and 50 others wounded.
The wider war
The conflict between the army, led by Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the RSF, commanded by his former deputy Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, erupted in April 2023. It has killed tens of thousands of people, displaced more than 11 million, and triggered what the United Nations describes as the world's most severe hunger crisis. The war has effectively split Sudan in two: the army controls the north, east and centre, while the RSF has consolidated its hold over Darfur in the west and parts of the south.
Drone warfare and civilian toll
The use of drones has become an increasingly prominent feature of the conflict in recent months. According to the UN, more than 1,000 civilians were killed in drone strikes during the first five months of 2026. UN investigators have previously stated that violence linked to the RSF siege and capture of el-Fasher bore "the hallmarks of genocide." The RSF emerged from the Janjaweed militias, which were accused of atrocities in Darfur in the early 2000s.
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Sources and context
- Abdel Fattah al-Burhan
- Sudanese army chief and military ruler.
- Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo
- RSF commander and former deputy to al-Burhan.
- Places
- El Fasher
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