Darfur Victims Support Organization
Report on Aerial Bombardment of Civilian Areas in North Darfur – El Fasher, 30 September 2024
October 5, 2024
Amid the escalating armed conflict in Sudan, the Sudanese Armed Forces continue to utilize aerial bombardment to target civilian areas in Darfur. This indicates a deliberate and systematic pattern of grave violations of international humanitarian law. These airstrikes target civilians and civilian infrastructure, exacerbating the suffering of displaced populations already grappling with displacement and poverty due to the ongoing war. This report documents the recent airstrikes on the areas of Korma and Kutum in North Darfur and presents urgent recommendations to halt these crimes.
First: Airstrike on Korma – 27 September 2024
According to eyewitness accounts collected by the Darfur Victims Support Organization, on Friday, 27 September 2024, at approximately 11 AM, the Sudanese military launched an aerial attack on Korma, located 85 kilometers northwest of El Fasher. Six shells were dropped during the raid, resulting in the destruction of the local market and significant damage to the property of displaced civilians. It is worth noting that Korma is not part of the direct conflict zones and is under the control of the Sudan Liberation Army led by Dr. El Hadi Idris, a former member of Sudan’s Sovereign Council during the Hamdok government before the outbreak of war.
The civilians present in the local market, who rely on trade for their livelihoods, lost their properties and businesses due to the attack. Despite Korma’s distance from the primary conflict zones, the airstrike raises concerns about the Sudanese military’s deliberate targeting of civilian areas.
Second: Airstrike on Kutum – 30 September 2024
On 30 September 2024, at approximately 12 PM, Sudanese military aircraft launched another airstrike, this time targeting Kutum in North Darfur. Eyewitnesses interviewed by the Darfur Victims Support Organization reported that the airstrike focused entirely on civilian areas.
The bombing targeted Al-Salama neighborhood, where the home of Ibrahim Yaqub was directly hit. Additionally, Kaboot neighborhood, the local market, and the Zerbeya area were struck.
The airstrike resulted in the deaths of:
1. Amal Abdelrahman Abu Ammeh (45 years old)
2. Suleiman Hussein Suleiman (38 years old)
Several civilians were also injured, including:
1. Mubarak Yaqub Mohammed (also known as “Wad Al-Bardi”) – (43 years old)
2. Fatiha Abdelrahman (35 years old)
3. Her son, Mubarak Mohammed (5 years old)
The injured civilians sustained severe wounds and were transferred to makeshift hospitals lacking necessary resources, further exacerbating their suffering.
The deliberate targeting of civilian areas in Darfur by military aircraft constitutes a clear violation of the Geneva Conventions of 1949, which obliges warring parties to avoid targeting civilians. Under international law, these airstrikes amount to war crimes as defined by the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, which criminalizes indiscriminate attacks that are intended or recklessly disregard their impact on civilian populations.
Furthermore, this ongoing escalation underscores a systematic policy by the Sudanese military to use military force against civilians, raising serious questions about the accountability of military and political leaders responsible for these atrocities.
Recommendations:
1. International Investigation and Accountability:
The Darfur Victims support Organization calls upon the International Criminal Court (ICC) to launch an immediate investigation into these deliberate and systematic violations and to hold all perpetrators accountable, including the military leaders who ordered these attacks.
2. Imposition of a No-Fly Zone:
The organization urges the United Nations Security Council to impose a comprehensive no-fly zone over Sudan, particularly in the Darfur region, to prevent the use of military aircraft in targeting civilians and to ensure their protection.
3. Immediate Cessation of Hostilities:
The organization calls upon all warring parties in Sudan to immediately cease hostilities and engage in direct negotiations to resolve the Sudanese crisis through peaceful means, ensuring the protection of civilians and the achievement of justice.
4. Opening Humanitarian Corridors:
The organization stresses the urgent need to open safe humanitarian corridors to enable the delivery of aid to those affected by the airstrikes and the broader conflict, ensuring that the wounded and displaced receive the medical care and support they need.
5. International Community’s Responsibility:
The Darfur Victims support Organization calls upon the international community to assume its legal and moral responsibilities towards the ongoing atrocities in Darfur, by activating international accountability mechanisms and applying pressure on the warring parties.
With the increasing aerial bombardments of civilian areas in Darfur, it has become clear that these violations are neither random nor accidental, but rather part of a deliberate and systematic strategy aimed at destroying the social fabric and local economies of civilian populations. The continuation of such practices necessitates immediate international action to stop these crimes and ensure the perpetrators are brought to justice.
In the absence of genuine peaceful solutions, the international community cannot stand idle. Protecting civilians must remain the top priority.
