Heavy artillery struck the market in Ad-Dalang on April 11, killing three men and injuring a woman, according to local sources. The shelling forms part of a continuing pattern of attacks on the city by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and their ally, the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N/Al-Hilu), following the breaking of a two-year siege on Ad-Dalang by the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and allied groups in February.
Two days earlier, on April 9, a drone strike hit a family home on Al-Nassr street, south of the University of Ad-Dalang. A mother and three of her children were seriously injured. Their conditions have worsened due to severe shortages of medical supplies and the collapse of essential services. Sources told Atar that hospitals across the city are struggling with a critical lack of medicines and medical equipment, putting lives at immediate risk.
On the same day, RSF and SPLM-N/Al-Hilu forces launched a ground attack on the city in the early morning. The assault led to clashes with SAF that left 13 people dead and around 25 injured. Three local sources told Atar that a joint force of RSF and SPLM-N/Al-Hilu fighters entered At-Tomat street the following day.
“The forces killed 27 civilians, including three women,” the sources said. Several of the victims were internally displaced people (IDPs) from Kadogli who had been unable to leave Ad-Dalang due to the lack of safe exit routes. They had been sheltering in neighbourhoods that recently became transit points for those attempting to flee the city via the Kurtala route.
Ad-Dalang, the second-largest city in South Kordofan State, has endured almost daily bombardment with artillery and drones since the siege was lifted. The violence intensified sharply in early March—mid-Ramadan—turning survival into a daily struggle for residents.
Constant bombardment
Five of us, walking along the walls to shield ourselves from shelling.
Bakheta Shata, a resident of Ad-Dalang
“When RSF soldiers entered the city on March 29, they were very close to us. They were inside the neighbourhood. We did not know whether we would survive,” said Bakheta Shata, a resident of At-Torouqu street. “I took my children and my daughters’ children. There were five of us, walking beside walls to protect ourselves from the shelling.”
Bakheta said the bombardment forced her to flee with the children. “I was terrified for them. If anyone was injured, there would be no medicine and no doctors. This is the suffering we live with every day in Ad-Dalang.”
She said she had lost several relatives and neighbours in recent weeks, including a close neighbour whose funeral they were unable to attend due to shelling that forced them to flee. When she returned days later, she found her home had been hit. “I felt relief knowing I had managed to save the children,” she said.
The attacks intensified on March 18, 28 and 29 and again on April 1, causing numerous deaths and injuries.
Moataz, a 10-year-old boy, told Atar he was playing in his family’s yard on Al-Torog Avenue when a shell struck their house. He ran inside as artillery continued to rain down. The family later fled on foot.
“We walked a long way. I was afraid the bombing would start again while we were walking,” he said.
Moataz now lives in Agoz Avenue. He misses his home and school, which has been closed for more than four months due to insecurity.
“I miss school so we can study and play,” he said.
A fragile security situation
Ad-Dalang has never witnessed such violence, even during the conflicts of the 2000s.
Local source
According to local sources, the attack on March 28 was the most violent the city has seen. One resident, who requested anonymity, said:
“Ad-Dalang has never witnessed such violence, even during the conflicts of the 2000s.”
Sources said RSF fighters attacked the western part of the city April on 6 and 7, using medium and heavy weapons as well as drones. Witnesses reported that RSF and SPLM-N/Al-Hilu fighters entered several neighbourhoods, attacking from within the city using combat vehicles and infantry. Entering residential areas during clashes has become a repeated tactic, residents said, as forces advance and then retreat.
Live fire has also been reported near the central market. Shelling has targeted residential areas in the north, east and centre of the city, triggering waves of displacement. Many residents have sought shelter in schools, student hostels, mosques or with relatives.
A volunteer in Ad-Dalang said the humanitarian response has been far from adequate. “The response does not match the scale of the crisis,” he said.
The nearby village of At-Tokma, east of Ad-Dalang, fell under the control of RSF and SPLM-N/Al-Hilu forces shortly after SAF regained control of Ad-Dalang in February. SAF and allied groups said they retook the village on 7 April. Clashes intensified in the days that followed. At-Tokma is strategically significant, lying nine kilometres from the main route linking Ad-Dalang to Kadogli and controlling access to the Habilla supply route for food and medicine.
Market crippled
The violence has severely disrupted Ad-Dalang’s market, already weakened by economic collapse, delayed government salaries and the closure of private businesses. Buthina, who used to sell small goods at the market, said: “I used to earn enough to buy sorghum to feed my children. When the attacks worsened, I had to stop. Now we wait for calm moments to go back. If you die, that’s it. If you survive, you feed your children.”
Traders and residents said trade has been heavily affected by insecurity and cash shortages. Although goods began to enter the city after the siege was lifted, ongoing fighting and RSF control of At-Tokma have disrupted key supply routes, including the Al-Rahad to Abu-Dokna corridor. This has increased monopolistic practices and driven prices up.
Sources said prices remain extremely high, forcing some families to resort to begging. Prices vary significantly depending on payment method. Goods cost less in cash but can double in price when paid for through the Bankak mobile banking application. With banking networks unreliable, many residents rely on Starlink internet access points to complete digital payments.
A quarter “malwa” of red sorghum costs 3,000 SDG (1USD = 4,050 SDG) in cash but 6,000 SDG through Bankak app. A “malwa” of cowpeas or millet costs 10,000 SDG. Cooking oil sells for 6,000 SDG in cash and 10,000 via the app. A “malwa” of onions costs 30,000 SDG and is sold only for cash. Three loaves of bread cost 1,000 SDG, while a kilogram of rice sells for 6,000 SDG. A bundle of white onions used as a substitute for red onions costs 5,000 pounds and is enough for only one meal.
Health system on the brink
A volunteer at At-Tomat Hospital, who asked to remain anonymous, said medical supplies are far below the level needed to treat those wounded by shelling and stray bullets, as well as patients with chronic illnesses. The emergency unit purchases medicines directly for patients, but the hospital pharmacy has limited stock. Some private pharmacies are reportedly selling medicines that entered the city as humanitarian aid.’
“Most patients are just waiting for a chance to leave the city.
A volunteer at At-Tomat Hospital
The volunteer said there is a complete shortage of diabetes and hypertension medication and a total lack of anaesthesia. Power outages, insufficient supplies and a shortage of trained medical staff have further weakened the hospital’s ability to operate.
“Most patients are just waiting for a chance to leave the city,” he said. “They are only staying here for life-saving treatment until they can leave.”
Al-Tawmat Hospital, the only functioning health facility in Ad-Dalang, is overwhelmed after every attack. With no ambulances available, wounded people are transported on makeshift carts, regardless of the severity of their injuries.
Emergency surgeries are still being performed, but without anaesthesia. Due to power shortages, medical staff must prepare patients at one time and conduct operations later, depending on the limited availability of electricity.
For residents of Ad-Dalang, the convergence of relentless attacks, economic collapse and the breakdown of essential services has left survival hanging by a thread.
