Incident Overview
On March 24, 2025, at approximately 2:00 PM, Sudanese Armed Forces warplanes carried out an airstrike on the weekly market of Turra village, located 45 kilometers north of El-Fasher, the capital of North Darfur. The market, which operates every Monday, serves as a vital commercial hub for civilians from various surrounding areas, including Kafout, Abu Sikin, Tarni, Tawila, Mellit, Um Sidra, Um Siala, Aza Garfa, Arari, Khazan Kalkal, Jumbo, Manzoula, Afein, Lamine, Jafina, Katonta, Abyad, and Astani.
Casualties and Damage
A field investigation conducted by the Darfur Victims Support Organization included an eyewitness account from a resident of Turra. The witness reported that the bombing resulted in 126 civilian deaths, with many bodies severely burned beyond recognition due to the intensity of the explosions. The large civilian presence at the time of the attack, as people gathered to purchase essential goods, contributed to the high number of casualties.
Additionally, the bombardment led to the destruction of livestock, with 119 camels, 22 horses, and 20 herds of sheep and goats killed. The attack was deliberate and systematic, with approximately ten barrel bombs dropped on the market. The witness further stated that white phosphorus was present in the explosives used.
List of Identified Victims
Deceased Individuals:
(Names listed as provided, indicating village of origin where available)
1. Aziza Abdullah Suleiman – Turra
2. Sawsan Abdullah Suleiman – Turra
3. Mona Ahmed – Turra
4. Fayhaa Suleiman Idris – Turra
5. Insaf Suleiman Idris – Turra
6. Wejdan Abdelmajid Ishaq – Turra
7. Magda Abdullah Othman – Turra
8. Hindya Mohamed Adam – Turra
9. Bet Salah Issa – Turra
10. Halima (wife of Al-Douma) – Turra
11. Badriya Abu Shama – Jafina
12. Sa’a Adam – Jafina
13. Khadija Omar Abdullah
14. Samira Ahmed Bashir
15. Islam Ali Armay
16. Ahlam Ali Armay
17. Aisha Mohamedin Abdullah
18. Somaya Abkar Othman
19. Mahfouza Ishaq
20. Nemat
21. Abdullah Suleiman Abdullah
22. Mona Shamsin Ahmed
23. Sawsan Abdullah Suleiman
24. Aziza Abdullah Suleiman
25. Montaser Abdullah Suleiman
26. Mazmil Abdullah Suleiman
27. Nour Al-Daim Ismail Abdullah
28. Fayhaa Suleiman Idris
29. Mowadda Mohamed Al-Douma
30. Samiha Abdullah Zakaria
31. Mazen Ahmed Hassan
32. Salma Siddiq Omar
33. Hassan Ahmed Mohamed (Abu Ain)
34. Hassan Mohamed Bakhit (Khawaija)
35. Ikram Adam (Kagou Kagou)
36. Mazaahi Abdullah
37. Hikma (sister of Al-Munim Issa)
38. Islam Hussein Ahmed Al-Taq
39. Adam Ali Yaqoub Mohamed
40. Atef Ali Yaqoub Mohamed
41. Hinda Mohamed Adam Al-Douma (daughter of the village Sheikh)
42. Walid Ahmed Ajabna
43. Abdelhalim Al-Sayed
44. Abdelmunim Al-Sayed
45. Abu Al-Bashr Al-Tayeb
46. Halima Suleiman (wife of Jougal)
47. Magda Abdelwali (wife of Sheikh Majid)
48. Wejdan Abdelmajid
49. Mecca (wife of Ibrahim Abu Al-Raqa)
50. Mohamed Askraf
51. Asia Anu Ibrahim
52. Nasser Hamza Mukhtar
53. Yousif Hamza Mukhtar
54. Amer Abdullah
55. Mazen (brother of Askraf)
Injured Individuals:
1. Khadija Ishaq
2. Khadija Adam Bashir
3. Nida (daughter of Wad Brout)
4. Daughter of Al-Douma Adam Abdelqader
5. Hayat Ishaq
6. Daughter of Abdullah Adam
7. Salima (wife of Al-Toum)
8. Rihata Abdelrahman
9. Daughter of Musa Omar Ahmed
10. Aziza Ahmed Abkar
11. Kulthoom Idris
12. Jida Mamoun Saleh
13. Fadl Al-Tayeb Ahmed
14. Al-Tayeb Hassan Adam
15. Abu Al-Bashr Al-Tayeb
16. Daughter of Musa Mohamed Ahmed
Missing Persons:
1. Islam Hussein
2. Asia Nour Al-Din
3. Daughter of Hassan Rkab
4. Walid Ahmed Adam
Legal and Humanitarian Implications
The deliberate targeting of civilians and markets constitutes a grave violation of international humanitarian law, including the Geneva Conventions and their Additional Protocols, which explicitly prohibit indiscriminate attacks against non-combatants. The use of white phosphorus, if confirmed, further constitutes a violation of the Chemical Weapons Convention.
Recommendations and Demands
1. Accountability of the Sudanese Armed Forces
• The Sudanese Armed Forces must be held legally and criminally responsible for the deliberate attack on civilians in Turra.
2. Urgent International Intervention:
• The international community must take immediate action to protect civilians in Darfur from further atrocities.
3. UN Security Council Emergency Session:
• The Darfur Victims Advocacy Organization calls on the United Nations Security Council to convene an emergency session to address the systematic targeting of civilians and to impose an immediate no-fly zone over Darfur.
4. Accountability of Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan:
• The organization holds General Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan fully responsible for this attack and urges the International Criminal Court (ICC) to launch an urgent investigation into this crime.
5. Immediate Ceasefire and Adherence to International Humanitarian Law:
• All parties to the conflict must immediately cease hostilities and adhere to international humanitarian law, ensuring the protection of civilians and the prevention of further war crimes.
This report is submitted as part of the Darfur Victims Advocacy Organization’s ongoing efforts to document war crimes and crimes against humanity in Darfur, with the aim of seeking justice and accountability for the victims.
Darfur Victims Support Organization
March 26, 2025
