KHARTOUM – At least 216 people were killed and 111 injured in 24 incidents of violence and mass deaths across Sudan in August 2026, according to a monthly monitoring report that attributed the largest share of fatalities to incidents involving the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

The Youth Citizens Observers Network said the incidents were recorded across eight states and included armed attacks, drone strikes, armed clashes, shootings, mass-death incidents and explosions believed to be linked to remnants of war.

The network said its findings were based on open-source information and field monitoring conducted by its observers. The figures represent incidents documented by the network during August.

Recorded deaths increased by about 14% from July, when 190 fatalities were documented, while injuries fell from 173 to 111.

RSF-Linked Incidents Account for 85 Deaths

The report linked the RSF to 13 incidents that killed 85 civilians and injured 37.

It attributed four incidents to the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), resulting in 51 deaths and 64 injuries, while one incident in South Kordofan attributed to the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North led by Abdelaziz al-Hilu killed 27 people.

The network was unable to clearly identify the responsible party in six other incidents, representing 25% of all documented cases. Those incidents resulted in 53 deaths and 10 injuries.

It said the level of unidentified responsibility reflected gaps in field documentation that required further verification.

North Darfur Records Highest Death Toll

North Darfur recorded the highest number of deaths, with 72 people killed and 67 injured in four incidents.

North Kordofan recorded 60 deaths and 34 injuries across nine incidents, the highest number of separate incidents among the states covered.

The report documented 45 deaths in Blue Nile, while South Kordofan recorded 31 deaths and three injuries.

West Darfur recorded five deaths and one injury, South Darfur two deaths and one injury, Al Jazirah one death and three injuries, while Kassala recorded two injuries and no deaths.

The report attributed North Darfur’s high death toll, despite the relatively small number of incidents, largely to two major events: a drone strike on a customary court session in Zawiyat Gura and the discovery of bodies along the El Fasher-Tawila road.

Armed Attacks Deadliest, Drones Cause Most Injuries

Armed attacks were the deadliest category recorded during the month, causing 77 deaths and 15 injuries across eight incidents.

Seven drone strikes caused 55 deaths and 86 injuries, making drones the category responsible for the highest number of injuries.

Two incidents classified as mass deaths accounted for another 55 fatalities.

The network also documented 20 deaths in armed clashes, seven deaths and five injuries in shootings, and two deaths and five injuries in an explosion.

Zawiyat Gura Drone Strike Kills 35

The deadliest drone strike documented by the network occurred in Zawiyat Gura, North Darfur, on Aug. 2.

The report said a drone struck a customary court building while a judicial session was underway, killing 35 people and injuring 50. It attributed the attack to the Sudanese army.

The report also attributed two other drone incidents to the SAF: a strike in Jebel Moon, West Darfur, on Aug. 18, which injured one person, and another in Umm Sharo, North Kordofan, on Aug. 27, which killed eight people and injured 13.

The network linked four drone strikes to the RSF.

A strike in Tina, North Darfur, on Aug. 11 killed five people and injured seven, while a strike in El Obeid on Aug. 13 killed two and injured three.

Another attack in Kernoi, North Darfur, on Aug. 20 killed two people and injured 10, while a drone strike in Dilling, South Kordofan, on Aug. 28 killed three and injured two.

The report said drone attacks also struck critical civilian infrastructure, including a water facility in El Obeid, warning that attacks on essential services could deepen the humanitarian crisis in areas hosting large displaced populations.

Network Calls for Civilian Protection

The monitoring group recommended directing protection services, emergency medical care, referrals and psychosocial support toward the areas most affected by violence, particularly North Darfur and North Kordofan.

It also called for an early-warning system and regular monitoring to identify signs of escalating violence.

The network urged parties involved in the fighting to reduce harm to civilians, facilitate humanitarian assistance and protect relief routes.