The afternoon strike on Al-Souk Al-Markazy, the central market in southern Khartoum, killed at least 23 civilians and left more than 40 injured. It landed on Saturday, October 13, 2024.
Local volunteers and humanitarian groups gave the toll. The South Khartoum Emergency Room, a volunteer organization, said casualties were taken to Bashair, Elrazi and Alraqi hospitals, and that several patients are still in critical condition. Activists quoted by The Sudan Times pinned the attack on the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) under General al-Burhan. The Media Line reported that no faction has claimed responsibility.
Mohamed Kandisha, a spokesperson for the Southern Belt Emergency Room, described the scene to The Sudan Times: “The destruction is immense, affecting many high-rise structures in the central market zone.” He also pointed to the strain on hospitals coping with a surge of wounded civilians. Homes and businesses around the market were damaged.
A district that keeps getting hit
The Southern Belt, which takes in neighborhoods such as Al-Ingaz, Al-Salama and Al-Azhari, has been a flashpoint between the SAF and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) since the fighting began in April. Artillery and air raids hit it often, and civilians absorb most of the damage.
The strike came after a push the SAF launched on September 26 to win back parts of the capital still held by the RSF. Human rights organizations have criticized the army’s dependence on air raids, accusing it of indiscriminate bombing that puts civilians at risk.
A war with no end in sight
Sudan has been consumed by fighting since April 2023, when a power struggle between the army and the RSF turned into open war. The United Nations estimates that nearly 20,000 people have died since then. Thousands more have been wounded, and millions have been forced from their homes.
Shortages of basic necessities are widespread. International calls for both sides to protect civilians and open the way for humanitarian aid have grown louder, but peace efforts have produced no resolution.
Sources
- SAF airstrike in Khartoum kills dozens of civilians – The Sudan Times
- Airstrike Hits Market in Khartoum, Killing 23 Civilians – The Media Line
Sources
- SAF airstrike in Khartoum kills dozens of civilians – The Sudan Times
- Airstrike Hits Market in Khartoum, Killing 23 Civilians – The Media Line
