Introduction
Darfur Victims support organization is following with concern the continued aerial attacks targeting populated areas in the Darfur region, particularly camps sheltering internally displaced persons, which are considered civilian sites entitled to special protection under international humanitarian law. In this context, the organization has documented a drone attack incident that occurred on the morning of Monday the 27th of April 2026, targeting the Hamidiya camp, block 4 in the city of Zalingei, Central Darfur state, that resulted in injuries to a number of civilians, including children, women, and elderly people.
Account of events:
Based on interviews conducted by Darfur Victims Support Organization with eyewitnesses from inside the Hamidiya camp, the witnesses reported that on 6AM Sudan time 27 April 2026, a Sudanese army drone conducted a strike targeting block (4) within the camp. Sources report that the targeted area falls under a residential zone inhabited by internally displaced persons, which raises serious concerns about the safety of the civilians inside the camp, especially given the absence of any indicators of military targets in the vicinity.
The bombing resulted in injuries to a number of civilians, the organization was able to compile a preliminary list of the wounded and injured, and they are :
1/ Halima Musa Idris (77 years old)
2/ Khadija Musa Idris (75 years old)
3/ Hasna Zakaria Mohamed (35 years old)
4/ Hawaa Salih Fadl (17 years old)
5/ Maymona Musa Mohamed (21 years old)
6/ AbdAlsalam AbdAllah Hassan (17 years old)
7/ Amna Mohamed Yagoub (8 years old)
8/ Hawaa Hassan Abouh (40 years old)
9/ Muna Ahmed Abdelmjeed (26 years old)
10/ Mishal Swar Al-Dahab Mohamed (4 years old)
11/ Swar Al-Dahab Mohamed Hussien (40 years old)
12/ Manasik Adam AbdAlshafie (10 years old)
13/ Mulazim Adam AbdAlshafie (11 years old)
14/ Fatima Idris Abbakar (60 years old)
Legal Framework and Characterization
This incident occurred within the context of the ongoing armed conflict in Sudan, which makes the rules of international humanitarian law applicable to the parties to the conflict.
Displaced persons camps, including the Hamidiya camp, are considered protected civilian sites, and targeting or launching indiscriminate attacks within their range is prohibited.
International humanitarian law emphasizes the principle of distinction, which strictly prohibits targeting civilians and civilian objects, and the principle of proportionality which prohibits attacks expected to cause excessive harm to civilians compared to any anticipated military advantage.
The targeting of a residential area within a camp for internally displaced persons, resulting in casualties among children, women, and the elderly, raises serious concerns about whether the attack was indiscriminate or disproportionate, which is prohibited under customary rules of the Geneva Conventions. It also constitutes a breach of the obligation to provide additional protection to the most vulnerable groups, especially children.
At the national level, acts that result in injury to civilians and damage to property are crimes punishable under the 1991 Sudanese Penal Code, which includes provisions related to grievous bodily harm and criminal damage, as well as the legal liability of anyone who carried out, ordered, or failed to take the necessary precautions to protect civilians.
Conclusion and Recommendations
The Darfur Victims Support Organization affirms that the bombing of the Hamidiya camp for internally displaced persons constitutes a serious incident that threatens the safety of civilians in one of the most vulnerable humanitarian locations. The organization believes that the continued attacks against camps and populated areas exacerbate the humanitarian crisis and deepen the suffering of displaced persons, necessitating urgent measures to ensure that such violations are not repeated.
The organization recommends the following:
- Opening an independent and transparent investigation on the bombing of the Hamidiya camp, identifying those responsible, and holding them accountable.
- Immediately ceasing the targeting of camps for displaced persons and civilian areas, and fully adhering to the rules of international humanitarian law, particularly the principles of distinction, proportionality, and precaution.
- Ensuring urgent access to medical care for the injured and providing humanitarian support within the camp, including medicines, first aid, and basic services.
- Calling upon regional and international mechanisms concerned with the protection of civilians to follow up on this incident as part of their monitoring and accountability efforts.
- Strengthening measures to protect civilians within camps, including early warning mechanisms and the establishment of safe zones wherever possible.
