Nasa data reveals razed villages as fire becomes 'weapon of war' in Sudan

The number of villages destroyed or severely damaged by fire in Sudan has risen sharply in recent weeks, suggesting the country's conflict is intensifying as it enters its second year.

- Mark Townsend

Satellite data revealed the number of Sudanese settlements set on fire in March increased to 30, the highest monthly total recorded since fighting broke out between the country's army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) last April.

The analysis by the London-based Centre for Information Resilience (CIR) corroborates growing concern that Sudan's civil war is steadily intensifying, with 22 villages destroyed or damaged by fire in February and 10 destroyed in both January and December.

Anouk Theunissen, CIR's team leader of Sudan investigators, said the data charted a "worrying development" in the course of the brutal war between Sudan's two rival military factions.

Most of the recently fire-damaged villages were in Darfur, the sprawling region in west Sudan where 17 were targeted last month.

Among them was El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur and the scene of escalating fighting as the RSF attempts to seize the city.

Over the weekend, reports suggested 40,000 people in El Fasher had fled their homes after the RSF and allied militias raided villages on the western outskirts of the city, killing at least 11. The RSF has been accused of ethnic cleansing, as well as rape and looting, in rampages against Masalit people across Darfur.