In response to the use of airstrikes, Artrika has compiled a database through on the ground research and communication with victims. In total, 131 airstrikes have been documented from September 2023 to October 2024 in Darfur, killing at least 513 people and injuring at least 1,048. Artrika believes the real number of airstrikes to be much higher given telecommunications updates and lack of access in some areas.
Airstrikes have been a key feature of the conflict: the outbreak of the conflict on 15 April 2023 was marked by airstrikes and aerial bombardment and has been described as “blind attacks causing a large number of deaths and wounding amongst civilians and the destruction of private and public property”. Both sides have also utilised drones obtained from regional allies to drop hand grenades or mortar shells, and in the summer of 2024, the RSF expanded their drone capabilities and reached into SAF-controlled areas far from the frontlines. The UN Fact Finding Mission on Sudan found that both SAF and RSF failed to
The spike in attacks from June 2024 represents the escalation in El Fasher and throughout North Darfur, with the decline in attacks caused by an increased focus of airstrikes in North Darfur and a cessation throughout the broader Darfur region. The low number of attacks in October 2024 is a result of ongoing documentation by Artrika throughout October, and does not yet represent the full scope of airstrikes. The majority of attacks took place in capital cities, with high spikes in cases reported in El Fasher and Nyala, South Darfur.
