Kabkabiya, August 04 (Darfur24)
The death toll from Sunday’s air strike on the Native Court headquarters in Gharaa al-Zawiya, west of Kabkabiya in North Darfur State, has risen to more than 45, with dozens of others injured and several still missing, according to eyewitnesses and medical sources.
A medical source in Kabkabiya told Darfur24 that the victims included about 20 people from Gharaa al-Zawiya, 11 from Kabkabiya, two from Gharaa Farjawiya, and seven from the Qarqo area. Five victims, including two who were inside the court during the attack, were buried before they could be identified.
The source said several of the injured remain in critical condition and require urgent surgery, calling for their transfer to Nyala for specialized treatment.
On Sunday, drones believed to belong to the Sudanese army struck the court while it was holding its weekly sessions, causing extensive casualties and destroying part of the building. The Sudanese army has not commented on the attack.
Adam Ishaq, one of the survivors, told Darfur24 that the court was crowded with people from Al-Sereif, Kabkabiya, and Gharaa al-Zawiya attending hearings on social and criminal disputes handled under customary law.
“The drones flew overhead before firing missiles at the court complex, scattering bodies and blood everywhere,” he said. “I was about 500 metres away and survived by chance.”
He added that the area was struck a second time while residents were evacuating the wounded, hampering rescue efforts and spreading panic.
Ahmed Al-Tayeb, a leader in the Native Administration in North Darfur, said six traditional leaders were among those killed, along with several community elders.
He said the total number of people killed and injured exceeded 70, including women and children accompanying relatives to the court.
According to Al-Tayeb, the court was established three years ago to fill the absence of formal judicial institutions in the area and had become a key mechanism for resolving local disputes. He warned that its destruction would leave a significant judicial and social vacuum.
The Ta’sis Alliance, the political coalition aligned with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), blamed the Sudanese army for the attack, describing the strike as a crime against civilians. The alliance called for an independent international investigation and accountability for those responsible.
The attack comes amid a sharp increase in drone strikes since the outbreak of Sudan’s war in April 2023, with both military and civilian sites increasingly coming under attack.
Last May, Volker Türk said drone strikes killed at least 880 civilians between January and April 2026, accounting for more than 80% of all conflict-related civilian deaths recorded during that period.