From Markets to Weddings

This report is based on research by The Reckoning Project's Sudan team. It documents 17 air and drone strikes that took place in Darfur between October 2024 and April 2026, in which hundreds were killed and injured, livelihoods destroyed and communities terrorized. The evidence suggests that the belligerents failed to uphold basic principles of international humanitarian law (IHL) because they deliberately attacked civilians, failed to discriminate between military and civilian targets, and failed to protect civilians from the harms arising from their military operations. Munitions were dropped or shot into civilian-populated areas at times when civilians were sure to be present. These include markets at their busiest hours, a mosque during prayers at dawn, hospitals, a wedding, and a shelter for displaced persons bombed while its residents slept. In several examples, the bombers used the "double tap" tactic, whereby a first bomb is closely followed by a second in the same location, often hitting first responders. Far from causing mere "collateral damage," evidence suggests the belligerents deliberately targeted civilians and first responders. Beyond the death tolls and injuries, this violence has far-ranging and profound impacts on communities, their livelihoods, access to healthcare, and safety. The report recommends that the UN, AU and their member states do far more to enforce the existing arms embargo and sanctions regime in place in Darfur. They should also increase support for civil society groups that monitor and document these attacks and the supply chains of weapons, and those providing support to affected communities, including medical and psychosocial support.