On Sunday, August 3rd, 2026, the Sudanese army launched a drone strike on a traditional court gathering in the village of Garra al-Zawaya, located in North Darfur state. The village is controlled by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which has been engaged in a violent conflict with the army since April 2023.

The Emergency Lawyers, a rights group documenting abuses by both sides in the three-year conflict, reported that the strike occurred around 1:00 pm local time (1100 GMT) as civilians had gathered to attend hearings on local cases and disputes. A witness told AFP that the court session was held under a tree with participation from local community leaders. Among the 35 people killed were four tribal leaders and two RSF commanders. Several others were wounded in the afternoon attack.

The RSF's self-declared government condemned the attack as "a horrific crime," stating that 37 people were killed and 50 wounded. Garra al-Zawaya lies near Kabkabiya, about 150 kilometers west of El-Fasher, the army's last stronghold in Darfur before it was captured by the RSF in October 2025.

According to the United Nations, over 1,000 civilians have died in drone strikes during the first five months of 2026. The conflict has intensified recently, with RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan Daglo releasing a video message last week urging his fighters to consider themselves "unleashed" in their war against the army after losing control of a key highway linking Khartoum and El-Obeid.

Sources