Bara was known for its lemon trees. Scores were planted in this North Kordofan market town, and as winter turned to spring the streets were thick with the scent of their blossom.
Today, after sieges, battles and massacres of civilians, Bara is destitute. Its trees have been showered with blood instead of rain.
Before the Sudanese war broke out in April 2023, around 100,000 people lived in Bara.
Some of them can still be seen around the town, but they lie lifeless on the roads, refused burial by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitaries who gunned them down.
Middle East Eye has spoken to several sources who visited Bara in recent days, people who gained rare access after the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and its allies managed to decisively retake the town from the RSF in July.
