Over 1,000 killed as 'massive' landslide buries entire Sudan village

A rebel group in Sudan has said that a “devastating” landslide buried an entire village in the country’s war-ravaged Darfur region, killing more than 1,000 people and leaving just one survivor.

The Sudan Liberation Movement/Army (SLM), which controls parts of the Marra mountains, reported that the disaster struck the village of Tarasin on Sunday following days of torrential rain.

“Initial information indicates the death of all village residents, estimated to be more than one thousand individuals, with only one survivor,” the SLM said in a statement. The group added that the landslide “completely destroyed” part of the area, which is known for citrus production.

The SLM appealed to the United Nations and other international aid organisations to urgently assist in recovering bodies and providing humanitarian support.

Sudan remains locked in a brutal civil war between the national army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a conflict that has created one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises. Although the SLM has largely stayed out of the fighting, it retains control of parts of Sudan’s highest mountain range.

Darfur’s army-aligned governor, Minni Minnawi, described the disaster as a “humanitarian tragedy that goes beyond the borders of the region,” urging the international community to intervene.

Much of Darfur, including the affected area, remains inaccessible to aid agencies because of ongoing conflict, limiting the possibility of immediate relief efforts.