Enough Civilians Caught in the Crossfire

8/22/2019 Enough Civilians Caught in the Crossfire

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Civilians Caught in the CrossfreThe Bombing of Abu Kershola and Burning of Ad Dandour

Satellite Sentinel Project

satsentinel.org

Monitoring the C risis in the Sudans


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Civilians Caught

in the CrossfreThe Bombing of Abu Kershola

and Burning of Ad Dandour

COVER: Visibly burned tukuls and smoke

in Ad Dandour during a lull in ighting.(Credit: Nuba Reports)



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1 Satellite Sentinel Projec t www.satsentinel.org | Civilians Caught in the Crossfre

Civilians in Souh Kordoan, Sudan, coninue o bear he brun o he recen escala-

ion in hosiliies beween he rebel Sudan Revoluionary Fron, or SRF, in his case

comprised o orces rom he Sudan Peoples Liberaion Movemen-Norh, or SPLM-Nand he Darurian Jusice and Equaliy Movemen, or JEM, and he governmen Sudan

Armed Forces, or SAF. wo paradigmaic examples are he warring paries sruggle over

sraegic garrison owns ha led o he burning o Ad Dandour and he repeaed indis-

criminae bombing o civilian areas in Abu Kershola. Exclusive DigialGlobe saellie

imagery secured by he Saellie Seninel Projec, or SSP, conrms he recen ghings

desrucive impac on boh owns and corroboraes repors rom ciizen journaliss who

raveled o he area during a lull in hosiliies.

The bombardment of Abu Kershola

In recen weeks boh he SAF and SRF have been rading escalaing rheoric abou Abu

Kershola, a sraegic garrison own in Souh Kordoan.1 Home o approximaely 45,000

people in he norheasern porion o Souh Kordoan in Sudan, Abu Kershola (see

Figure 1) has become a symbol o he war raging on Sudans periphery.


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Bou nd a ries a nd na m es used on th is m a p for illust ra t ion p urpo ses on ly

Te SRF ook conrol o he own in a dramaic coordinaed rebel oensive on April 27, 2013.2 Te srike,

which reached Umm Rawaba in Norh Kordoan, was one o he rebel coaliions rs join-orces operaions

as he Sudan Revoluionary Fron.3 Since hen he SAF has made ve atemps o regain conrol o he own,

beore ulimaely suceeding.4 As a resul o escalaing violence in he region, mos o he owns populaion

ed norh o al Rahad.5 According o he Inernaional Federaion o he Red Cross and Red Crescen and

he U.N. Oce or he Coordinaion o Humaniarian Aairs, or UN OCHA, more han 30,000 people are

shelering in schools under rees and in makeshif shelers around al Rahad.6

Abu Kershola

Abu Kershola

Figure 1: Dstcton at Ab Kshola


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Ab Kshola Aa Ovvw, Soth Kodofan Stat, Sda

Dtalglob Colo infad ima, May 15, 201

Burned Tukuls

Central Market Area

of Abu Kershola

Craters

Figure 2: Aa Ovvw

Te Enough Projecs Saellie Seninel Projec, or SSP, received DigialGlobe saellie imagery aken o he

village o Abu Kershola on o May 15, 2013, showing muliple craers in and around he village. (see Figures

2 and 3) Figure 3 highlighs 10 craers close o he main residenial and marke area o Abu Kershola, and

Figure 2 shows hose, in addiion o a leas anoher 10 craers on he norh and wes side o he own. In

DigialGlobe Analyics Ceners assessmen, o he 20 craers visible in Figure 3, our were caused by arillery,

while he oher 16 are consisen wih aerial bombardmen. A May 15, 2013, saemen rom SRF spokesper-

son Al Gadi Rumboy conrmed ha Sudanese aircraf dropped 12 bombs on he village.7


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Ab Kshola, Soth Kodofan Stat, Sda


Figure 4

Figure 5

Craters

Central Market Areaof Abu Kershola

Figure 3: Ab Kshola Ovvw

Several residenial srucures were desroyed or severely damaged by he bombing. (see Figures 2 and 3)

DigialGlobes Analyics Cener did no nd any evidence o SAF or SRF orces remaining in he village in he

May 15 imagery. No obvious miliary arges were observed near he bomb craers in he village, suggesing

ha he bombs were dropped indiscriminaely in civilian areas. (see Figure 3)


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FigureS 4 & 5: Bomb Cats

Several residenial srucures were desroyed and ohers damaged by he 10 bombs ha landed in he cener o

he own. (see Figures 4 and 5)

Ab Kshola, Soth Kodofan Stat, Sda


Craters

Craters

N

N


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Wst of Ab Kshola, Soth Kodofan Stat, Sda


Possible Damaged

Vehicle

Craters

Possible Damaged

Vehicle

Example of

Tank Tracks

NFigure 6: Bomb Cats and Tank Tacks

DigialGlobe Analyics Cener idenied racks consisen wih anks or oher heavy equipmen in he area

immediaely wes o he village. (see Figure 6) Tese racks and he 10 craers visible in Figure 2 migh be

relaed o ghing in ha area, which may have served as a saging ground or a mulipronged oensive. Te

SRF spokesperson claimed, SRF orces also desroyed 37 miliary vehicles.8 Bu DigialGlobe analysis o

imagery covering a radius o a leas 9 kilomeers rom he village cener shows only wo possibly damaged

vehicles in he area. (see Figure 6)


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Figure 7: Bnd Tkls

A small cluser o residenial srucures, or ukuls, wes o he village are visibly burned, possibly as a resul o

he recen ghing. (see Figure 7) Tis imagery oers independen and exclusive documenaion o he oll

ha he ghing in he own has aken upon civilian srucures.

Burned Tukuls



N


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Figure 8

el Obeid

The burning of Ad Dandour

A erce hree-day batle over Ad Dandour (see Figure 8) in Sudans Souh Kordoan sae likely led o he

complee desrucion o civilian srucures in he garrison own.9

According o Nuba Repors, he village changed hands wice during he hree-day period o April 1517,

2013.10 On April 15 SRF, rebels launched an oensive and seized conrol o he sraegically locaed village,

which has been under SAF conrol since 2011.11 Afer hours o inense indiscriminae aerial bombardmen, on

April 16 he SRF rereaed, allowing SAF o regain conrol o he own on April 17.12 DigialGlobes analysis

o saellie imagery aken o Ad Dandour on April 22, afer he ghing ended, conrms ha much o he own

has been desroyed by re.

ad Dandour


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Geoagged phoos aken on April 16 and obained by SSP rom Nuba Repors conrm he desrucion rom

he ground. (see Figure 9)

Nuba Repors visied he village on April 16 when he SRF was in conrol o he village and published a video

including an inerview wih an SRF commander. wo gunships came and we deal wih hem because we

have air deenses, saes SRF Brigadier General Namiri Amara on video.13 Wihin an hour and a hal an

Anonov plane came. I ew overhead, all day bombing. Ten wo MiG gher planes came and bombed he

area more han our imes.14

According o Nuba Repors correspondens, a leas 17 SAF soldiers were killed in he rs days ghing.

One SRF soldier was killed, and 17 SRF were wounded.15 On April 15, wo civilians were wounded during

he rs days ghing, bu no civilians were killed. Following a batle on April 16, which involved Anonovs,

MiGs, and helicopers, he SRF wihdrew under re on April 17. Te airplanes argeed civilian areas, hence

our acical wihdrawal. We waned o avoid casualies, saed SRF rebel spokesman Arnu Nguulu Lodi.16

DigialGlobe saellie imagery comparing he village in December 2012 wih imagery rom April 2013 shows

hese bombs and subsequen res dramaic impac on ukuls in he village. On May 26, according o Nuba

Repors, he SRF again atacked and was able o ener, bu no hold, he village.


Dtalglob Natal Colo ima, May 15, 201

Photo 2

Photo 1

N

Figure 9: golocatd Photos of th Vlla


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10 Satellite Sentinel Project www.satsentinel.org | Civilians Caught in the Crossfre

Due o he ghing a Ad Dandour, 350 civilians ed he village, seeking reuge in SRF-conrolled erriory.

According o hose inerviewed by Nuba Repors, SAF ground orces wihdrew almos immediaely when he

SRF launched heir oensive in April 16, sending heir amilies, women, and children ahead o hem, piled

ino pick-up rucks.17 Displaced civilians rom Ad Dandour who ed o he SRF side o he batle line repored

ha hey have no plans o reurn o he village.18

Only he mosque, cellular elephone ower, suppor buildings, and a ew oher meal-rooed buildings

survived he batle. Sudan Armed Forces, which has conrolled he own since June 2011, has consruced

deensive posiionsearhen berms and revemensaround a porion o he village. A leas one armored

personnel carrier, or APC, and ve probable echnicals occupied revemens are visible wihin in he berm.

(see Figure 11) Tis equipmen probably suppors elemens o a SAF inanry company.

48 km nothast of Kadl, Soth Kodofan Stat, Sd

Dtalglob Natal Colo ima, Apl 22, 20

48 km nothast of Kadl, Soth Kodofan Stat, Sdan

Dtalglob Natal Colo ima, Dcmb 22, 2012

Figure 10: Vlla of Ad Dando Bnd Tkls N


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In possibly relaed aciviy, wo Nanchang Q-5 ground atack aircraf were observed a el Obeid Air Base,

Norh Kordoan, in imagery acquired on April 16, 2013. (see Figure 11) A uel ruck was parked nearby and

was probably in he process o reueling he aircraf, which could reec an increased empo o operaions in

suppor o he SAF unis atacking Ad Dandour. Oher han one Y-8 ranspor aircraf, no oher high-peror-

mance aircraf or helicopers were observed a he air base. El Obeid Air Base has suppored SAF miliary in

Souh Kordoan in he pas as a base o operaions or An-24/26 ranspors, MiG-25 ghers, Nanchang Q-5

ground atack aircraf and atack helicopers.19

Figure 11: Fortied Village of Ad Dandour

48 km nothast of Kadl, Soth Kodofan Stat, Sda


Cellular telephone tower

Possible

APC

Mosque

EarthenBerms

Probable technical

N


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F 12: Actvty at l Obd A Bas

l Obd A Bas, Noth Kodofan, SdaDtalglob Natal Colo ima, Apl 16, 201

Fuel

truck

Nanchang Q-5

ground attack (x2)

Y-8

Transport

N


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N

Figure 10 Figure 10

Exclusive beore-and-afer saellie imagery rom December 22, 2012, and April 22, 2013, analyzed by he

DigialGlobe Analyics Cener shows nearly all o he ukuls in he village burned during he April ghing.

Tis imagery provides independen conrmaion o he devasaing oll ha he hosiliies beween he SRF

and SAF coninue o ake on Souh Kordoans civilian inrasrucure.

48 km nothast of Kadl, Soth Kodofan Stat, Sd


48 km nothast of Kadl, Soth Kodofan Stat, Sdan

Dtalglob Natal Colo ima, Dcmb 22, 2012

Figure 13: Vlla of Ad Dando Bnd Tkls


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1 Sudanese President Pledges to Soon Retake South Kordo-an Town, Sudan Tribune, May 13, 2013, available at http://allarica.com/stories/201305141107.html.

2 Sudan city stormed by Darur rebels, Al Jazeera, April27, 2013, available at http://www.aljazeera.com/news/arica/2013/04/2013427143845319920.html.

3 Ibid.

4 Sudan army increasing security around Abu-Kersholaperimeter, Sudan Tribune, May 30, 2013, available athttp://www.sudantribune.com/spip.php?article46757.

5 Abu Kershola IDPs Receive Relie Aid, Sudan Vision, May 15,2013, available at http://news.sudanvisiondaily.com/details.html?rsnpid=222604.

6 International Federation o the Red Cross and Red CrescentSocieties, Disaster relie emergency und (DREF) Sudan /North Kordoan and South Kordoan Population Movement(2013), available at http://www.irc.org/docs/Appeals/13/MDRSD017.pd; U.N. Oce or the Coordination o Hu-manitarian Aairs, Weekly Humanitarian Bulletin (2013),available at http://relieweb.int/sites/relieweb.int/fles/resources/OCHA_Sudan_Weekly_Humanitarian_Bulletin_Is-sue_17_(22-28_April_2013).pd.

7 SRF: Sudan air raid kills three in Abu Karshola, South

Kordoan, Radio Dabanga, May 14, 2013, available athttp://www.radiodabanga.org/node/48915.

8 Ibid.

9 Sudan SPLA-N claims control o Dandor garrison nearKadugli, Radio Dabanga, April 16, 2013, available athttp://www.radiodabanga.org/node/46743.

10 Nuba Reports, Surge in Fighting As Humanitarian Negotia-tions Begin (2013), available at http://www.nubareports.org//reports/surge-fghting-humanitarian-negotiations-begin.

11 Sudan S.Kordoa n rebels control army base, AgenceFrance-Presse, April 16, 2013, available at http://www.glo-balpost.com/dispatch/news/ap/130416/sudan-skordoan-rebels-control-army-base.

12 Sudan Army Regains Control o Kordoan Garrison, CapitalShelled, Hilversum Radio Dabanga, April 17, 2013, availableat http://allarica.com/stories/201304180127.html.

13 Nuba Reports, Frontlines: Dandur, April 25, 2013, availableat http://www.youtube.com/watch?eature=player_embedded&v=jDb7hZKXM9A#!.

14 Ibid.

15 Nuba Reports correspondent, interview with author, April25, 2013.

16 Ibid.

17 Ibid.

18 Ibid.

19 Tristan McConnell, Part 3: Sudans rebels uniting to toppleBashirs Islamic regime, Globalpost, May 7, 2012, availableat http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/a-rica/120507/sudan-s-rebels-uniting-topple-bashir-s-islamic-regime.

Endnotes
http://allafrica.com/stories/201305141107.htmlhttp://allafrica.com/stories/201305141107.htmlhttp://www.aljazeera.com/news/africa/2013/04/2013427143845319920.htmlhttp://www.aljazeera.com/news/africa/2013/04/2013427143845319920.htmlhttp://www.sudantribune.com/spip.php?article46757http://www.sudantribune.com/spip.php?article46757http://news.sudanvisiondaily.com/details.html?rsnpid=222604http://news.sudanvisiondaily.com/details.html?rsnpid=222604http://www.ifrc.org/docs/Appeals/13/MDRSD017.pdfhttp://www.ifrc.org/docs/Appeals/13/MDRSD017.pdfhttp://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/OCHA_Sudan_Weekly_Humanitarian_Bulletin_Issue_17_(22-28_April_2013).pdfhttp://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/OCHA_Sudan_Weekly_Humanitarian_Bulletin_Issue_17_(22-28_April_2013).pdfhttp://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/OCHA_Sudan_Weekly_Humanitarian_Bulletin_Issue_17_(22-28_April_2013).pdfhttp://www.radiodabanga.org/node/48915http://www.radiodabanga.org/node/48915http://www.radiodabanga.org/node/46743http://www.radiodabanga.org/node/46743http://www.nubareports.org/reports/surge-fighting-humanitarian-negotiations-beginhttp://www.nubareports.org/reports/surge-fighting-humanitarian-negotiations-beginhttp://www.nubareports.org/reports/surge-fighting-humanitarian-negotiations-beginhttp://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/afp/130416/sudan-skordofan-rebels-control-army-basehttp://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/afp/130416/sudan-skordofan-rebels-control-army-basehttp://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/afp/130416/sudan-skordofan-rebels-control-army-basehttp://allafrica.com/stories/201304180127.htmlhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=jDb7hZKXM9Ahttp://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=jDb7hZKXM9Ahttp://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=jDb7hZKXM9Ahttp://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=jDb7hZKXM9Ahttp://allafrica.com/stories/201304180127.htmlhttp://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/afp/130416/sudan-skordofan-rebels-control-army-basehttp://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/afp/130416/sudan-skordofan-rebels-control-army-basehttp://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/afp/130416/sudan-skordofan-rebels-control-army-basehttp://www.nubareports.org/reports/surge-fighting-humanitarian-negotiations-beginhttp://www.nubareports.org/reports/surge-fighting-humanitarian-negotiations-beginhttp://www.nubareports.org/reports/surge-fighting-humanitarian-negotiations-beginhttp://www.radiodabanga.org/node/46743http://www.radiodabanga.org/node/46743http://www.radiodabanga.org/node/48915http://www.radiodabanga.org/node/48915http://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/OCHA_Sudan_Weekly_Humanitarian_Bulletin_Issue_17_(22-28_April_2013).pdfhttp://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/OCHA_Sudan_Weekly_Humanitarian_Bulletin_Issue_17_(22-28_April_2013).pdfhttp://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/OCHA_Sudan_Weekly_Humanitarian_Bulletin_Issue_17_(22-28_April_2013).pdfhttp://www.ifrc.org/docs/Appeals/13/MDRSD017.pdfhttp://www.ifrc.org/docs/Appeals/13/MDRSD017.pdfhttp://news.sudanvisiondaily.com/details.html?rsnpid=222604http://news.sudanvisiondaily.com/details.html?rsnpid=222604http://www.sudantribune.com/spip.php?article46757http://www.sudantribune.com/spip.php?article46757http://www.aljazeera.com/news/africa/2013/04/2013427143845319920.htmlhttp://www.aljazeera.com/news/africa/2013/04/2013427143845319920.htmlhttp://allafrica.com/stories/201305141107.htmlhttp://allafrica.com/stories/201305141107.html


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conducts regular, intensive

monitoring of Sudan

to assess the c urrent

human security situation

and identify potential

threats to c ivilians.


Enough Civilians Caught in the Crossfire

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