Sudan: 400 inmates escape after drone strike in East Darfur
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Radio Tamazuj
Around 400 inmates escaped from Al-Jalabi prison, near El Daein, the capital of East Darfur, after drone strikes that local officials blamed on the Sudanese army. Thirty-four people were killed or injured in the attacks, according to the East Darfur Ministry of Health, cited by Radio Tamazuj.
About 400 inmates escaped from Al-Jalabi prison, east of El Daein, after a drone attack on Monday 19 October. Ahmed Issa Abou, legal adviser to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF)-aligned East Darfur government, accused the Sudanese army of targeting the facility, according to Radio Tamazuj.
The inmates were accused or convicted of common-law offences, including murder, theft, looting and financial disputes. Some were serving sentences, including life sentences, while others were awaiting trial, Abou said. He denied that the prison held prisoners of war or political detainees and called for an investigation by international organisations.
Al-Azraq Hassan Himida, director-general of the East Darfur Ministry of Health, said drone strikes on El Daein had killed or injured 34 people. The prison was reportedly hit by four drones. He also reported 17 air strikes in the state between August 2024 and 19 October 2026, which allegedly killed or injured 383 people, without distinguishing between the two categories of casualties.
Journalist Ali Al-Rafiq condemned the attack, which he said came after a strike on a popular restaurant. The Sudanese army had not responded to the accusations at the time of the report. On 12 October, residents of East Darfur had demonstrated to demand an end to the war, according to our article on protests in East Darfur.
Summary produced with the help of artificial intelligence tools, under AFREEQUE’s editorial responsibility.
