Use of fire as weapon in Sudan war surged last month, study finds

Investigators from Sudan Witness are using open source technology to document the systematic use of fire by combatants.

Fires set by combatants in the war in Sudan destroyed or damaged 72 villages and settlements last month, a rights group based in the United Kingdom has found, highlighting the use of fire as a weapon of war in the African country.

Investigators from Sudan Witness, an open-source project run by the nonprofit Center for Information Resilience, said on Monday that April was the worst month in terms of the number of fires recorded and settlements affected since war broke out between Sudan’s military and a rival paramilitary in April 2023.

“When we see reports of fighting or airstrikes coinciding with clusters of fires it indicates that fire is being used indiscriminately as a weapon of war,” project director Anouk Theunissen said in a statement.

“The trend is worsening and continues to lead to the mass displacement of Sudanese people.”

The analysis didn’t provide any casualty figures related to the fires.