Nyala/Um Dukhun, April 30 (Darfur24)
At least four people were killed in a market shooting in South Darfur, while authorities in Central Darfur shut down a major market and carried out arrests following a deadly airstrike, in a sign of deepening instability across the region.
In Al-Fifi town, south of Nyala, four people were killed and others injured on Wednesday during a shooting inside the local market linked to a tribal dispute. Residents told Darfur24 that heavy gunfire erupted between clans of the same tribe, killing four members of one family and wounding several others who were taken to nearby health facilities.
The incident forced the temporary closure of shops and satellite internet centers, which later reopened after the situation stabilized. Local authorities intervened to contain the violence and imposed movement restrictions in and out of the town during the morning hours.
Residents pointed to the widespread availability of weapons, saying firearms are increasingly used in disputes within markets and residential areas, amid the spillover effects of the ongoing war between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
In Central Darfur, the RSF ordered the closure of the main market in Um Dukhun and arrested dozens of people following a drone strike last week that killed more than 10 civilians and injured others.
Sources said the arrests targeted civilians, including former military personnel, on suspicion of collaborating with the Sudanese army. Detainees were reportedly transferred to Nyala.
The market closure came after widespread looting during the aftermath of the airstrike, with security forces sealing off the area and preventing access.
Residents also reported restrictions on internet access, particularly through Starlink services, forcing some to operate connections covertly within neighborhoods.
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) had earlier confirmed civilian casualties from the airstrike and warned of worsening security conditions in Darfur.
Since the outbreak of conflict in April 2023, fighting between the Sudanese army and the RSF has intensified across Darfur, with drone strikes and local violence increasingly affecting civilian life and disrupting already fragile economic and social systems.