War in Sudan: More than 100 settlements set on fire with over quarter targeted more than once
New analysis, shared exclusively with Sky News, reveals 180 separate incidents of settlements in Sudan being set on fire, with 108 villages, towns and cities affected since the start of the war.
More than a quarter (27%) of the 108 settlements where burnings have been verified by the Centre for Information Resilience (CIR) have been targeted more than once since April 2023.
On 15 April, 2023, violent clashes erupted between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Many of these fires have been attributed to the RSF and local level disputes.
The fires are another element of a war that has resulted in the forced displacement of millions of people and human rights abuses including more than 100 incidents of sexual violence observed by the UN.
Sir Nicholas Kay, a former British ambassador to Sudan, told Sky News the repeated fires may be a “deliberate attempt to… instil a great level of fear and extreme violence to subdue and remove the population”, and “a determined consistent effort to ensure people leave and don’t come back ever”.
US-Africa policy expert Cameron Hudson said the current RSF activity in Darfur is “ethnic cleansing”, including war crimes “that some people will call genocide” – reminiscent of the atrocities of 2003-05.
One Sudanese human rights worker who spoke anonymously to Sky News said he had been specifically targeted in an assassination attempt for his work doing things like providing water to people whose water sources had been burned and destroyed.
The Darfur region has experienced the most significant impact from the fires, with the majority of incidents taking place in the West Darfur state.
The highest number of fires took place in in El Geneina, the capital of West Darfur, along with the village of Misterei.
In one instance between 29 May and 2 June 2023, multiple fires were detected in Misterei, mainly inhabited by ethnic Masalit people, who have faced extensive violence from the RSF and allied Arab militias throughout the war.
Humans Rights Watch reported that the town came under attack on the morning of 28 May, when RSF and Arab militias allegedly launched an assault on the town.
Many were also injured with gunshot wounds and fled to Chad.
Satellite imagery of the town from 2 June shows both burn marks and active fires.
Pic: Planet Labs PBC and Centre for Information Resilience
In the middle of the attack on Misterei, a video was recorded in the centre of town, in which burning and burned down houses are shown. The person filming accuses the Nuba people of killing and slaughtering and goes on to say “as you condemn, you will be condemned”, which roughly translates as “what goes around comes around”.
The video was shared in a RSF WhatsApp group and was located to the period between 30 May and 1 June 2023.
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Violence takes place in Misterei, Sudan
There was further fire damage in Misterei following a pattern of what appears to be strategic burnings of residential areas, where the town was burned in intervals of multiple days, between 6 October 2023 and 1 March 2024.
Between 11 and 31 October 2023, roughly 3,750 square metres (more than 60% of the town) was burnt in this manner.
“What the RSF is doing has felt very similar to what they did in a previous generation as the Janjaweed [a Sudanese Arab militia group that the RSF grew out of], in terms of who they’re targeting and how they are targeting them, ” explained Cameron Hudson, Senior Associate for the Africa Program at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies.
“One of the things we assessed at the time was that they were doing things like burning villages, poisoning water sources or destroying livestock to prevent people from ever returning.
“So, if they are doing that again, which is what this sounds like, then that is a very similar tactic to what we have seen before.
“There’s a profit motive here because there they are looting, they are taking valuables,” added Mr Hudson, who also served as the chief of staff to successive U.S. presidential special envoys for Sudan during the period of South Sudan’s separation from Sudan (2011) and the Darfur genocide (2003-2005).
As in Misterei, many of the burnings disproportionately affect the Masalit and other minority communities.
On 9 June 2023, a video was shared on X showing an RSF soldier outside the residence of the Sultan of the Masalit in El Geneina, making statements targeting the Masalit.
He says, “Dar [the house of] Masalit, only Arab. “Allah Akbar [x4].. Sultan Dar Masalit? .. There’s no more Dar Masalit, Dar Arab only.”
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Fighter speaks against the Masalit
CIR geolocated the footage to the same day as potential related footage showing burning property and dead bodies in the streets only one block away from the Sultan’s residence.
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Violence in Sudan
Mr Hudson said: “Obviously, there has been ethnic cleansing by the RSF in Darfur going on recently, going on presently. There have been obviously war crimes committed and some people will call that genocide because it is targeting African tribal minorities in Darfur, so that is all reminiscent of an earlier period.”
Tribal conflicts
While the cases of El Geneina and Misterei show some of the violence and hatred incited by the RSF and its supporters, village fires have also been attributed to alleged local-level and inter-communal conflict.
“As we saw in the violence 20 years ago, there is a lot of very local level score settling and fighting going on between nomads and pastoralists between communities that have been in tension for a very long time and so within the context of this larger conflict, there is also a very local level conflict going on.
“I think the violence in Darfur is much more about local level, political, tribal and economic dynamics,” said Mr Hudson.
CIR also collected and verified multiple videos related to alleged clashes between Bani Halba and Al Salamat tribes in August and September 2023 in the Kubum and Mukjar localities, near the border of South and Central Darfur.
Various fighters on both sides appear in RSF uniforms.
Markundi, a town about 20 kilometres south from Kubum and inhabited largely by the Bani Halba, was attacked by what appears to be Al Salamat fighters on 7 September or 8 September.
Footage recorded by the Al Salamat people shows men in RSF uniforms surrounded by burning dwellings in an area nearby the Markundi market.
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A video shows the aftermath of tribal violence in Kubum
Continuing violence and displacement in Sudan
The findings add to atrocities already observed by the UN, including more than 100 incidents of sexual violence.
“It’s a messy war because there are many, many different factors. I heard so many Sudanese complaining and lamenting the fact that mercenaries from across the Sahel were fighting on the side of the RSF and were there essentially just to loot and unfortunately rape, in Khartoum in particular but in other parts of Sudan as well,” said Sir Nicholas Kay, former UK ambassador to Sudan, now Senior Advisor at Crisis Management Initiative.
More than 8.4 million people have been forcibly displaced since the start of the conflict in April 2023, equivalent to one in six people in Sudan.
“What we’ve also seen is that it’s not just settlements being targeted, but there is also frequent fires as at IDP camps, which would result in double displacement and people having to leave again because the areas that they’ve finally found refuge also turn out to be unsafe or are left unliveable,” said Anouk Theunissen, team leader for the Sudan Witness project at CIR.
More than 6.5 million are displaced within the country, with others fleeing to neighbours like Chad, South Sudan and Egypt.
This includes one human rights worker, Ibrahim (not his real name), who spoke with Sky News but requested to remain anonymous. He fled to Chad in June 2023 but witnessed burnings before he left.
“I was monitoring all kinds of violations committed by all parties of the conflict. I also provided potable water to citizens after the destruction and burning most of the water sources. These things made part of the conflict group target me. I survived an assassination attempt and the office was looted and burned.
“Secondly, because of my colour or race, the El Geneina War took on an ethnic manner, as people were killed on the basis of race or colour, especially after the killing of Wali Khamis and the defeat of the Masalit groups, where the Janjaweed took over the entire city and practiced the worst types of killing and looting.
“Because of all of that, I fled to Chad with great difficulty. I lost my homeland and my home, as it was completely looted and burned. I lost my job. I lost a number of my family members who have been killed, and I lost all that I have, money, documents, and other things.”
Despite the great scale of damage and humanitarian catastrophe, Sir Nicolas holds hope that people like Ibrahim may be able to return one day.
“I believe that those communities [targeted in the Darfur Genocide] proved to be resilient and as the conflict was ending and some people were being held to account for further violence and with the presence of the UN and African Union peacekeeping mission on the ground, communities did return, re-establish and consolidate themselves.
“So it’s happened before and again, it may happen after this round of violence and bloodletting. It would require, clearly, a determination by the international community and institutions to hold people to account but it would also require a future government of Sudan to also take seriously its responsibility to protect civilians and provide an environment in which all communities can live together.”
The Data and Forensics team is a multi-skilled unit dedicated to providing transparent journalism from Sky News. We gather, analyse and visualise data to tell data-driven stories. We combine traditional reporting skills with advanced analysis of satellite images, social media and other open source information. Through multimedia storytelling we aim to better explain the world while also showing how our journalism is done.
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Nine Palestinians killed, including three journalists, in Israeli airstrike, Gaza health ministry says
An Israeli airstrike in Gaza has killed at least nine Palestinians, including three local journalists, the territory’s health ministry has said.
The strike hit a car, with casualties inside and outside the vehicle, and several people were critically injured, according to officials in the Gaza Strip.
Six volunteers from the Al Khair Foundation were “deliberately targeted” and killed while on their way to deliver aid in the northern town of Beit Lahia, said the UK-based international non-governmental organisation (NGO).
Among the six were the three journalists – Mahmoud al Sarraj, Mahmoud Isleem, and Bilal Abu Matar – who were recording humanitarian relief efforts for those affected by the war in Gaza, the foundation said.
The other three victims have been named as Bilal Akeela, Mohammad al Ghafir, and Hazem Gharib.
The foundation said: “The first strike injured one team member, prompting them to move away, but a drone followed them and struck their vehicle directly with a second strike, killing them all.”
What has Israel’s military said?
In a statement, the Israeli military said it had struck two individuals who it identified as “terrorists” operating a drone that it said posed a threat to forces in Beit Lahiya.
The military later struck several other suspects who it said had collected the drone equipment and entered a vehicle.
The military did not say how it had established that the individuals it had struck were “terrorists” or provide details about the threat that the drone had posed to its troops.
Gaza official denies army’s claims
Salama Marouf, the head of the Hamas-run Gaza government media office, denied the Israeli army’s allegations.
“The team was made of civilians and worked in an area near a shelter on a mission sponsored by a charity. They didn’t exist in a prohibited area and didn’t pose any danger of any kind to the occupation army,” Marouf said in a statement.
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Thousands call for longer ceasefire deal for hostages
Saturday’s incident underscores the fragility of the 19 January ceasefire agreement that halted large-scale fighting in the Gaza Strip. Palestinian health officials say dozens of people have been killed by Israeli fire despite the truce.
The airstrike coincided with a visit to Egypt’s capital Cairo by Hamas’s exiled Gaza chief, Khalil al Hayya, for further truce talks aimed at resolving disputes with Israel.
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Israel accused of ‘genocidal acts’ against Palestinians in UN report
Palestinian officials say Israel kills eight in Gaza and five in West Bank
The militant group has accused Israel of attempting to renege on the ceasefire agreement, putting the number of Palestinians killed since 19 January, it says, at 150.
Hamas urged mediators to compel Israel to move ahead with the implementation of the phased ceasefire deal, blaming Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for the current impasse.
What next for ceasefire deal?
The temporary first phase, where Hamas released dozens of Israeli hostages in return for around 1,500 Palestinian prisoners being freed from Israeli jails, expired on 2 March.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. File pic: AP
But Israel says it wants to extend the first phase, a proposal backed by US envoy Steve Witkoff.
Hamas says it will only resume freeing hostages under the second phase.
Israel has rejected opening the second phase of talks, which would require it to negotiate over a permanent end to the war, which is Hamas’s main demand.
The war began when Hamas militants carried out a cross-border raid into southern Israel on 7 October 2023, killing 1,200 people and capturing around 250 hostages, according to Israeli officials.
Israel responded by launching an air and ground offensive in Gaza which has killed more than 48,000 Palestinians, say Gaza health officials.
The Gaza health ministry does not distinguish between civilians and combatants in its count but said more than half of the fatalities were women and children.
US President Donald Trump has launched strikes against the Houthis in Yemen.
In a post on his Truth Social platform, he also warned Iran the country’s support for the group must “end immediately”.
The Iran-backed Houthis reported a series of explosions in Yemen‘s capital Sanaa on Saturday evening.
The Houthi-run health ministry said in a post on X that at least nine civilians have been killed and nine others injured.
Images shared online show plumes of black smoke over the area of the city’s airport complex, which includes a sprawling military facility.
Mr Trump said the strikes were over the group’s attacks against ships in the Red Sea.
Smoke rises from a location reportedly struck by US airstrikes. Pic: AP
“Your time is up, and your attacks must stop, starting today. If they don’t, hell will rain down upon you like nothing you have ever seen before,” he said.
The president said Iran would be held “fully accountable” for the actions of its proxy, adding: “And we won’t be nice about it!”
The strikes come days after the Houthis said they would resume attacks on Israeli vessels sailing in waters off Yemen in response to Israel’s blockade on Gaza, although there have been no Houthi attacks reported since then.
Earlier this month, Israel halted all aid coming into Gaza and warned of “additional consequences” for Hamas if their fragile ceasefire isn’t extended as negotiations continue over starting a second phase.
“The Houthi attack on American vessels will not be tolerated. We will use overwhelming lethal force until we have achieved our objective,” Mr Trump wrote.
“These relentless assaults have cost the US and World Economy many BILLIONS of Dollars while, at the same time, putting innocent lives at risk.”
The Houthis launched more than 100 attacks targeting shipping from November 2023, saying they were in solidarity with Palestinians over Israel’s war with Hamas in Gaza.
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The US, Israel and Britain have previously hit Houthi-held areas in Yemen.
According to a US official, the operation – the first strike on the Houthis under the second Trump administration – was conducted solely by the US.
The Houthi media office said the strikes hit “a residential neighbourhood” in Sanaa’s northern district of Shouab.
Sanaa residents said at least four airstrikes hit the Eastern Geraf neighbourhood in the district, terrifying women and children in the area.
“The explosions were very strong,” said Abdallah al Alffi. “It was like an earthquake.”
Similar missile strikes against the Houthis were done multiple times by Joe Biden’s administration in response to frequent attacks by the Houthis against commercial and military vessels in the region.
Military chiefs from around the world will meet next week to discuss the “operational phase” of protecting Ukraine as part of a peacekeeping force, Sir Keir Starmer has announced.
The prime minister hosted a virtual meeting of the “coalition of the willing” on Saturday, which involved leaders of 26 nations, including Ukraine, plus the EU and NATO, to discuss ending the war in Ukraine.
Speaking after the 90-minute meeting, Sir Keir revealed military chiefs from the group of Western nations would meet on Thursday as they move “into an operational phase”.
He said they would draw up plans to help secure Ukraine “on the land, at sea and in the sky” if a peace deal can be agreed with Russia.
Ukraine war latest: We must be prepared to defend peace deal
The day before, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accepted a proposal for a 30-day interim ceasefire as Russia agreed to an end to fighting, however, President Vladimir Putin said “lots of questions” remain over the proposals.
Sir Keir Starmer hosting a video conference call of the ‘coalition of the willing’. Pic: PA
Notably absent from Saturday’s call was US President Donald Trump, but Sir Keir reiterated any peace deal requires a US backstop.
He said the UK is talking to the US “on a daily basis” and there is a “collective resolve” to end the war, which has been shown by the “momentum we’re building up now” by the many allied countries being “on the same page” both politically and militarily.
He said Thursday’s meeting of military chiefs “is very much an operational planning meeting”.
The PM added the “coalition of the willing” had increased in size since leaders met for the first time just under two weeks ago at Lancaster House in London.
Italian Prime Minister Georgia Meloni was the most notable addition after reports she would “shun” the meeting because she is “not convinced” by the Anglo-French plan to send European peacekeepers to Ukraine.
Read more:
Zelenskyy says ‘good chance’ of ending war in Ukraine
‘A classic power play’ – Trump’s fixer made to wait eight hours to meet Putin
On Friday, a Russian drone attack set a civilian hospital in Zolochiv, Kharkiv region, on fire. Pic: Ukrainian Emergency Service via AP
PM dodges what rules of engagement would be
Answering a question from Sky News’ deputy political editor Sam Coates on what the rules of engagement would be for troops on the ground as part of a peacekeeping process, Sir Keir said the meeting will set that out.
He said he has already indicated he wants the UK “to play a leading role” in the provision of troops and air power, while other countries will have different capabilities.
But, he said a peace deal needs to be achieved first, which requires more pressure on Russia.
“If there’s going to be lasting peace, there’s going to have to be security arrangements,” the PM said, noting that Putin has previously broken a peace deal with Ukraine.
‘World needs action, not a study’
Sir Keir also said on the call that the gathering of leaders rejected Mr Putin’s “yes, but” approach, in reference to the Russian president saying he would agree to a ceasefire but there must be a “study” into how that would look.
The prime minister said: “The world needs action, not a study, not empty words and conditions. So my message is very clear. Sooner or later, Putin will have to come to the table.
“So this is the moment that the guns fall silent, that the barbaric attacks on Ukraine once and for all stop and agree to a ceasefire now.”
The PM revealed seizing Russian assets was discussed in the meeting but said it was “a complicated question”.
Despite striking US absence, progress was made
While Sir Keir Starmer’s coalition of willing world leaders weren’t standing literally shoulder to shoulder at this morning’s meeting, their united presence still sent a powerful message of support to the Ukrainians after another tumultuous week.
It was clearly important to make a united statement of conviction that the Ukrainians are the “party of peace”, willing to sign up to a ceasefire without conditions, and the Russians, therefore the de facto party of war, delaying a ceasefire and continuing with their “barbaric attacks”.
But what of the “concrete commitments” Sir Keir said he wanted to secure from the meeting?
While the PM said new commitments had been made, he gave no specific details beyond insisting the coalition would be moving into an “operational military planning” phase, with a meeting of military leaders to be held in the UK.
He had no detailed answer to Sky News’ deputy political editor Sam Coates’ question about what power any troops deployed as part of the coalition of the willing would actually have to police any deal, arguing he was willing for UK forces to play a leading role but that operational capabilities will be discussed on Thursday.
Today’s messages were directed at both Russia and the US. Starmer insisted Russia would be forced to the table sooner or later – by the increased military support given to the Ukrainians and through the threat of greater economic sanctions. The long-held hope of seizing frozen Russian assets was also discussed, he said.
And as for his audience in the White House, the PM was demonstrating again that Europe and its allies have been listening to his calls to do more to shoulder the burden of defending Ukraine – and themselves.
But his argument that no peace deal can be secure and lasting without American security guarantees is unchanged. He reiterated all this needs to be done “in conjunction with the United States” and said his team are in daily talks with Washington.
For all the political power assembled online today, the absence of the US is as striking as ever. Despite that, progress continues.
Zelenskyy accuses Putin of lying to everyone
President Zelenskyy revealed he addressed the meeting and told them the path to peace “must begin unconditionally” and if Russia does not want to do that “then strong pressure must be applied until they do”.
He said the 30-day ceasefire proposal from the Americans negotiating in Saudi Arabia with the Russians has been on the table since Tuesday but accused Mr Putin of “lying to everyone” about the situation on the ground and about how a ceasefire is “supposedly too complicated”.
The Ukrainian leader pleaded with the West to “define a clear position on security guarantees” and for European nations to invest in defence so the continent has “its arsenals and the capability to produce the most advanced weapons”, and to strengthen air defence.
Mr Zelenskyy suggested another coalition of the willing meeting will be held in a week’s time.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy called for ‘strong pressure’ to be applied to Mr Putin until he accepts the ceasefire deal. Pic: Reuters
Who is part of the ‘coalition of the willing’?
The leaders involved in Saturday’s call were from: Australia, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Turkey, Ukraine and the UK.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and EU Council President Antonio Costa also joined.
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