Sudan paramilitary-linked politician killed in drone strike

A senior politician aligned with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) was killed by a drone strike in Nyala in western Darfur, The National and agencies reported on April 1st.

Osama Hassan, a founding member of the RSF-aligned Ta’asees coalition, was killed when a house in the city was struck late on March 31st, according to statements by the paramilitary group and its administration. Four other people were injured in the attack, including two seriously.

The strike took place in Nyala in South Darfur, where the RSF has set up a parallel government. A witness said two rockets were fired in quick succession at the building. Unconfirmed reports said the intended target may have been a health minister linked to the Sudanese army.

The RSF described the attack as “treacherous” and “cowardly” and said it marked the start of a “dangerous method of assassinations targeting civilian and democratic leaders”. The Sudanese army did not immediately comment.

Hassan also led the Democratic Alliance for Social Justice, which is part of the Ta’asees coalition, a group of smaller political parties and armed factions aligned with the RSF.

Sudan has faced civil war since April 2023, with fighting between the Sudanese army, led by Abdel Fattah Al Burhan, and the paramilitary RSF led by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo.

Dagalo is among several RSF senior members sanctioned by the US, while his brother, Abdel-Rahim Hamdan Dagalo, has been sanctioned by several governments, including the UK.

Clashes have centred in major urban areas, including Khartoum, as well as across Darfur and Blue Nile state. The killing is a rare assassination in a war largely fought through ground battles.

The use of drones has increased during the conflict, with both sides deploying unmanned systems in attacks. In July 2024, army chief Abdel Fattah Al Burhan survived a drone strike on a military ceremony in eastern Sudan that killed five people.

The war has killed tens of thousands of people and displaced more than 12 million, according to estimates cited in the report. Around 25 million people are facing food insecurity amid the ongoing violence.

The National and agencies, Maghrebi.org