Sudan Army denies bombing WFP aid convoy in Darfur

Sudan’s army has denied targeting a World Food Programme (WFP) convoy delivering aid to famine-hit areas in Darfur. The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) had blamed the army for Wednesday’s air strike in Mellit, a town under RSF control.

The WFP said three of the convoy’s 16 trucks were damaged and caught fire, but all staff were safe. The organization is assessing the full impact and gathering more information.

Sudan has been in a civil war since April 2023, after a power struggle erupted between the army and RSF, triggering one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises. Both sides have used drones in the conflict, and attacks on aid operations have become frequent.

The convoy was heading to a famine-affected village near Mellit, about 90 km northwest of el-Fasher, which the RSF has besieged for over a year. Both the army and RSF have been accused of obstructing aid deliveries and using starvation as a weapon of war.

In June, five aid workers were killed in a similar attack in el-Fasher. So far, tens of thousands have died, 12 million have been displaced, and over 4.5 million refugees, mostly women and children, have fled to neighbouring countries.