The Sudanese Alliance for Rights is deeply alarmed by the drone strikes carried out by the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) on markets and populated areas in the cities of Al-Daein and Dar Al-Salam on Sunday, 8 March 2026.
According to preliminary information received from local sources, the attacks targeted civilian areas, including markets where residents were carrying out their daily activities. Our documentation indicates that more than 40 civilians have been killed so far, including women and children, while many others have sustained injuries. The targeting of markets and densely populated neighbourhoods has devastating consequences for civilian communities already enduring the effects of ongoing conflict.
These attacks constitute serious violations of international humanitarian law, including the obligations set out in the Geneva Conventions of 1949 and the Additional Protocol II to the Geneva Conventions, which apply to non-international armed conflicts. These legal frameworks require all parties to the conflict to distinguish at all times between civilians and combatants, and between civilian objects and military objectives. Deliberate or indiscriminate attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure—including markets and residential areas—are strictly prohibited. Such actions raise serious concerns regarding violations of the fundamental principles of distinction, proportionality, and precaution in the conduct of hostilities.
The Sudanese Alliance for Rights calls on all parties to the conflict to immediately halt attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure and to strictly comply with international humanitarian and human rights law. We further urge the international community, the United Nations, and regional human rights mechanisms to take urgent measures to ensure the protection of civilians and to pursue accountability for those responsible for violations.
We extend our deepest condolences to the families of the victims and stand in solidarity with the injured and the affected communities in Al-Daein and Dar Al-Salam. The protection of civilians must remain a priority, and those responsible for such grave violations must be held accountable.
Sudanese Alliance for Rights
9 March 2026
