Zalingei, August 31(Darfur 24)
Eyewitnesses and local residents reported on Sunday that they witnessed a continuous flow of cargo planes belonging to the Rapid Support Forces landing on airstrips near the city of Zalingei, Central Darfur State.
A local resident told Darfur 24 that he sees a large cargo plane landing daily between midnight and one in the morning in an area south of Wadi Bari, north of Jebel Faro, and east of the Azum Bridge, which connects Zalingei and El Geneina.
He added, “The plane makes a loud noise during landing and takeoff, and its impact on the ground can be clearly heard.”
He explained that the landing site is located about 15 kilometers west of Zalingei. It is large and uninhabited, except for a few farmers during the autumn season. It is surrounded by a mountainous area, the most prominent of which are Jebel Faro and the bend of Wadi Bari, and is close to the paved road connecting Zalingei and El Geneina.
He indicated that the plane remains on the ground for two to three hours before takeoff, and the sounds of trucks are often heard in the area before and after the aircraft landing.
In this context, a well-informed source in the city of Zalingei revealed to Darfur 24 that he had heard the sounds of planes landing and taking off for several consecutive days, the last of which was on Saturday night.
He explained that the aircraft sometimes come from the northwest direction and other times from the southwest .
The Rapid Support Forces control six of the nine localities in Central Darfur State, including Zalingei, while the remaining 3 localities are under jurisdiction of the Sudan Liberation Movement led by Abdul Wahid Mohamed Nour.
A resident of the Al-Wahda neighborhood in Zalingei told Darfur 24 that he heard the sound of a plane last Saturday and Sunday nights at 12:18 a.m. The plane remained on the ground for more than an hour before taking off with a loud noise that was heard throughout the city.
Another source from the city confirmed that cargo planes had landed two consecutive nights at midnight, making loud noises during landing and take off.
He added, “The sounds of the planes before landing were coming from the northwest of the city, which was noticed by a number of residents.”
In this context, a Zalingei resident confirmed that the Jebel Faro area was chosen as the landing site because it is a rugged area devoid of residents since its displacement in 2003 following the outbreak of fighting in Darfur, with the exception of some herders in the summer and farmers during the autumn.
He pointed out that the city’s old airstrip in the Shaw area, east of Zalingei, has become unsuitable for use as an airport after residents used it for farming. Furthermore, it is exposed to traffic coming from Nyala. and Zalingei.
He continued: “The Jebel Faro area is remote, and we have been hearing the sounds of planes landing there daily for days, along with the sounds of vehicles before and after landing.”
It is noteworthy that Nyala Airport in South Darfur State witnessed the first flight landing in the Darfur region on September 21, 2024, since the outbreak of war in Sudan in April 2023.
According to a Darfur 24 correspondent in Nyala, the city is currently witnessing regular flights of cargo and small aircraft, using Nyala Airport east of the city, in addition to the former UNAMID airstrip at Jebel Sagira, northeast of Nyala.