Um Dukhun, March 23 (Darfur24)
At least five Sudanese civilians were killed and 14 others injured on Sunday after the Chadian army forces opened fire on a gathering in the Um Sisiya area, west of Um Dukhun town in Central Darfur State, according to eyewitnesses and local sources.
A medical source told Darfur24 that some of the injured were transferred to Nyala in South Darfur due to the severity of their conditions.
Mustafa Yaqoub, a witness, said Chadian soldiers opened fire on a crowd gathered to celebrate the Eid holiday with traditional dances near the border between the two countries. He added that the force first dispersed the crowd, then fired on people as they fled, killing four immediately, while a fifth died later in the hospital.
He also reported that dozens of people were arrested during the incident, with their fate still unknown.
A second eyewitness, Amina Osman Ibrahim, gave a similar account, saying the troops opened fire without clear warning, causing panic and casualties among civilians.
She added that Chadian forces pursued fleeing individuals up to 10 kilometers inside Sudanese territory before withdrawing back across the border.
However, another local source suggested the shooting may have targeted smugglers operating between the two countries at dawn, resulting in casualties, including children.
The Chadian army has not issued any official statement regarding the incident, and Darfur24 was unable to obtain a response. The Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which control Um Dukhun, also did not comment.
The incident comes amid rising tensions along the Sudan-Chad border, particularly after a recent drone strike on the Chadian town of Tine that killed 17 people and prompted Chad to tighten border security measures.