The Sudanese army reportedly struck Nyala — the RSF's administrative centre in South Darfur — over three days, hitting a fuel market and several RSF sites and triggering massive fires. Local sources report casualties among civilians and fuel traders, and RSF intelligence forces later conducted mass arrests near the damage. The strikes come amid renewed territorial claims by the RSF, a rejected UN peace proposal, and an ongoing humanitarian crisis that has killed over 100,000 and displaced nearly 14 million people.
Sudanese Army Strikes Fuel Market in RSF Stronghold Nyala, Sparking Massive Fire and Tensions
Sudanese in a camp for displaced people in Nyala [File: AFP/Getty Images]
Sudan's army reportedly launched an intensified aerial campaign on Nyala, the Rapid Support Forces' (RSF) administrative centre in South Darfur, striking a fuel market and multiple RSF positions over three consecutive days.
What Happened
According to RSF sources, military drones and warplanes targeted strategic locations across Nyala — including the international airport, frontline sites and training facilities — culminating in a strike on a busy fuel market. Video shared on social media showed exploding fuel barrels and thick columns of black smoke rising above the city.
Casualties, Arrests and Responses
Local reports say the attack caused casualties among civilians and people involved in the fuel trade who are linked to the RSF. The Sudanese military has not issued an official comment on the strikes.
In the hours after the market strike, RSF intelligence forces reportedly detained dozens of civilians and some military personnel near the damaged site and Nyala’s main market, accusing them of passing coordinates to the army.
Youssef Idris Youssef, head of the RSF civil administration in South Darfur, accused the army of deliberately targeting civilians and called the strike part of "a systematic policy" to punish residents who do not resist the RSF.
Strategic Context
Nyala is politically important as the seat of the RSF’s parallel administration, known as TASIS, declared by the RSF in July and led by commander Mohamed Hamdan "Hemedti" Dagalo. The city has been a focal point of fighting since the RSF advanced across Darfur — including the capture of el-Fasher in October — and the army previously struck Nyala in October over allegations that the RSF used the airport as a logistics hub.
This incident follows fresh RSF claims of territorial gains, including the seizure of Abu Qumra in North Darfur and reported advances toward Um Buru; those claims were disputed by joint forces aligned with the army.
Diplomacy and the Humanitarian Toll
The strikes occurred two days after Prime Minister Kamil Idris presented a UN Security Council peace plan calling for RSF withdrawal from seized areas, disarmament in camps and a path to elections. The RSF rejected the plan as "wishful thinking," according to spokesman Alaa el-Din Naqd.
Sudan’s de facto leader, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, held talks in Ankara with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who expressed support for peace efforts and opposed any division of Sudan. Meanwhile, a senior official on the Transitional Sovereignty Council ruled out negotiations, saying there could be "no truce and no negotiation with an occupier."
The conflict, which began in April 2023, has produced a catastrophic humanitarian crisis. United Nations estimates and other sources put the death toll at more than 100,000 and nearly 14 million people displaced. The United States has publicly accused the RSF of committing genocide in Darfur. Since the fall of el-Fasher, the fighting has shifted into Central Kordofan, effectively dividing the country into areas controlled by the military and the RSF.
Note: Many details remain contested and are based on claims from both sides and local reports; the Sudanese military has not confirmed the strikes.
