Incident Summary.
Darfur Victims Support Organization documented the killing of six civilians and the injury of 29 others as a result of a drone attack targeting the town of Al-Rahad in North Kordofan State on July 20, 2026.
According to eyewitness testimonies obtained by the Organization, a strategic drone belonging to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) targeted the town of Al-Rahad at around 1:00 PM Sudan time with three projectiles, one of which struck the Fish Market area, resulting in civilian casualties and injuries.
Victims:
According to information collected by the Organizations from eyewitnesses, the attack resulted in the death of six civilians:
- Mohamed Zakaria
- Muneer Sadiq Issa
- Suleiman Ishaq
- Abdullah Fadlallah Mohamed
- Julie Hussein Dabeeb
- Bahr Eldin Madawi
The attack also resulted in the injury of 29 civilians:
Ibrahim Ahmed, Bakri Abdullah, Hassan Khairallah, Jaafar Makhar, Bashir Youssef Abdullah, Al-Tahir Mohamed Abdelrahim, Nizar Jaafar, Abdelhafiz Abu Al-Naw, Samawal Hamid Adam, Abdo Ismail Ibrahim, Arbab Hassan Arbab, Al-Na’im Ibrahim, Yassin Salah Yassin, Mustafa Omar Mustafa, Imad Al-Din Koko, Fawzi Hassan, Imad Al-Din Jalal Hamid, Amin Al-Sayyid, Mohamed Al-Amin, Alaa Al-Din Al-Hadi Al-Tahir, Zahra Omar Ghanem, Qisma Omar Ghanem, Mahmoud Osman Ahmed, Hudhayfah Osman Al-Sayyid, Jabbara Ahmed Babiker, Al-Amin Al-Sayyid, Mohamed Al-Amin, Shadia Omar Ghanem, and Issa Hammad.
Legal Qualification :
Darfur Victims Support Organization stresses that civilians and civilian objects enjoy protection under the rules of International Humanitarian Law (IHL), and that parties to the conflict are obliged at all times to distinguish between civilians and combatants, and between civilian objects and military objectives, taking all feasible precautions to avoid, or in any event minimize, incidental harm to civilians.
Rules of International Humanitarian Law prohibit attacks directed against civilians, as well as indiscriminate or disproportionate attacks that are expected to cause incidental loss of civilian life or injury to civilians that would be excessive in relation to the concrete and direct military advantage anticipated.
In light of the information gathered by the Organization regarding the attack occurring in a market area and resulting in civilian casualties, the incident warrants an independent and transparent investigation to determine the nature of the targeted objective, the circumstances surrounding the attack, the degree of adherence to the principles of distinction, proportionality, and precautions in attack, and to establish accountability for any potential violations of International Humanitarian Law.
Recommendations:
Darfur Victims Support Organization calls for:
- The immediate cessation of all attacks directed against civilians and civilian objects, and strict adherence to the rules of International Humanitarian Law.
- Conducting an independent and transparent investigation into the attack on Al-Rahad town on July 20, 2026, identifying those responsible, and ensuring accountability for any established violations.
- Ensuring the provision of necessary medical care and treatment to the injured, as well as adequate support for the families of those killed and affected by the attack.
- Demanding that all parties to the conflict take all feasible precautions during military operations to avoid civilian casualties.
- Calling upon the United Nations and competent international and regional mechanisms to continue monitoring and documenting attacks targeting civilians in Sudan, and to support efforts for accountability and preventing impunity.
Darfur Victims Support Organization reiterates its call to all parties to the conflict to respect their obligations under International Humanitarian Law and International Human Rights Law, ensure the protection of civilians and their property, and end attacks that endanger the lives of the civilian population.
