A recent study conducted by a UK-based human rights center revealed that fires, used as weapons in Sudan, have destroyed more villages and towns in the western part of the country in April than in any other month since the conflict began over a year ago.
The “Sudan Witness” project, managed by the non-profit “Information Resilience Center,” reported that last month, 72 villages and towns were either completely destroyed or significantly damaged by fires. Since the conflict started in mid-April last year, a total of 201 villages have been devastated by fires in Sudan.
Anouk Theunissen, director of the “Sudan Witness” project, stated in a press release on Monday, “We have documented the widespread patterns of fires and the ongoing destruction in the villages and towns located in western Sudan, both large and small, since the outbreak of the conflict last April.”
Theunissen added, “When we see reports of fighting or aerial raids coinciding with clusters of fires, it suggests that fires are being used indiscriminately as a weapon of war. This trend is worsening, causing mass displacement of the Sudanese people.”
The frequency of fires has notably increased in the north and west of El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur state, which faces an imminent threat of military attack.
Sudan has been experiencing violence since mid-April 2023, when tensions between the Sudanese Army and the Rapid Support Forces escalated into widespread fighting across the country.
The clashes quickly spread to other parts of Sudan, including the Darfur region, which witnessed brutal attacks.
Investigators from the “Sudan Witness” project have examined fire patterns throughout the country using social media, satellite imagery, and public fire monitoring data from NASA.
Since the conflict began, fires have repeatedly erupted in 51 camps that shelter displaced persons. The fires are often associated with the conflict in Sudan, according to the study.
The “Sudan Witness” project has also investigated instances where fires coincided with reports of the Sudanese Army conducting aerial raids. Additionally, the investigators identified damages to buildings that were concurrent with shrapnel release.
