Hundreds of camels killed in North Darfur attack
Apparent airstrike using barrel bombs at water wells near Melit
Hundreds of camels and seven shepherds were killed in an apparent air attack by the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) on Melit town of North Darfur State. The animals were resting peacefully at night when barrel bombs fell on them from above, sending shrapnel and large metal scraps ripping through the herd.
The airstrike occurred not long after the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) seized control of Melit from a coalition of Darfur armed groups known as the Joint Force of Armed Struggle Movements (JSAMF), which are allied with SAF.
In a video circulating online (below), an unidentified local leader alleged the airstrike resulted in the deaths of over 350 livestock. This is partly corroborated by gruesome videos of the dead livestock, which are so many that they are not easily countable.
“While we were sleeping last night, Friday, at 12:08, cluster bombs rained down on us, for the first time we had heard or seen them. All the trees collapsed, the wells were destroyed, the citizens and children froze. All of us, residents of Melit, are in big trouble because of this bombing… Our case has become clear that we are being targeted by Al-Burhan [the army commander-in-chief],” he said.
Separately, Radio Dabanga put the death toll at 257 camels, citing a “reliable local source” who spoke with the broadcaster by telephone from the area. The source said that the human victims were all members of two families from the Kutum area, who had come to the wells at Melit to water their camels.
The tribal official further accused SAF of deploying an unidentified, ash-like substance suspected to be poisonous, contaminating water wells:
“The wells from which we drink water have been destroyed, and the water itself has been polluted. After we walked, we found that there was ash, which we saw with our eyes for the first time. According to information we have and information coming from outside, this ash is a toxic substance that causes harm to the environment in general and the residents of Melit.”
The Rapid Support Forces, which control the area that was attacked, put out a statement claiming that SAF dropped 17-barrel bombs, killing over 300 camels.
Sudan War Monitor geolocated a video of the aftermath incident, placing the airstrike 38 kilometers west of Melit town.
The airstrike is the latest in a series of violent incidents in North Darfur, following an escalation of tensions throughout the state after the JSAMF (former Darfur rebels) dropped their neutral stance in the conflict and joined the side of the Sudanese army.
Heavy fighting is feared soon in the state capital El Fasher, Melit, and possibly other areas. Livestock are likely to die in large numbers, due to both intentional targeting and disruption of grazing grounds and pastoral migration routes, heightening the risk of famine. North Darfur borders the Sahara desert and its population is vulnerable to drought and conflict-related disruptions of food markets and supply routes.
Melit lies along a trans-Saharan supply route to the North Darfur capital, El Fasher. A key RSF commander in North Darfur, Major General Ali Yaqoub, recently announced the reopening of a local customs office in Melit, following clashes there, stating that it has received commercial convoys from neighboring countries. However, commercial and humanitarian traffic could drop sharply as the conflict continues.
The Office of the United Nations Secretary-General issued a statement Friday warning, “We are receiving increasingly alarming reports of a dramatic escalation of tensions between armed actors in El Fasher, North Darfur… An attack on the city would have devastating consequences for the civilian population. This escalation of tensions is in an area already on the brink of famine.”
“The Secretary-General reiterates his call on all Parties to refrain from fighting in the El Fasher area. The Secretary-General's Personal Envoy, Ramtane Lamamra, is engaging with the Parties to de-escalate tensions in El Fasher.”
Meanwhile, in other parts of Darfur, conflict has subsided since November last year, after the RSF consolidated their control over most of the region. However, some citizens are still being killed in armed robberies and occasional inter-communal clashes, and the region faces a deepening economic and humanitarian crisis.
Videos from Melit
⚠️ Graphic content warning: Large numbers of dead and injured animals ⚠️. The video also shows some metal scraps that killed the animals. Viewer discretion advised.
Speech by a local leader in the aftermath of the attack:
Other news in brief
Water shortages and electricity outages continue throughout RSF-controlled areas parts of Khartoum, Bahri, and East Nile.
SAF said Friday that it destroyed four fuel tankers, two Land Cruisers, and an armored vehicle in the Kadroo area of Khartoum Bahri, also killing their crews. If confirmed, this would impair RSF operations in other parts of the capital region and neighboring Jazira State. RSF have had growing difficulty moving fuel supplies south from Jaili Refinery due to SAF attacks.
Vice President of the Transitional Sovereignty Council Malik Agar on Friday said exports of crude oil using the Jabalyn pipeline through Port Sudan will resume in two months. This follows a conflict-related rupture in the pipeline last February.
Radio Tamazuj reports on difficult humanitarian conditions in West Kordofan.
April 25th marked World Malaria Day, honoring the fight against a disease that is a major killer in both Sudan and South Sudan. Approximately 1.3 million malaria cases were reported in Sudan over the past year, according to the World Health Organization. WHO cautioned that the conflict is adversely affecting vector control programs as well as the supply of medicines and healthcare services.
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