Zalingei or Zalinjay (Arabic: زالنجي) is a town in Western Sudan, and it is capital of Central Darfur state. As of 2009 it had an estimated population of 27,258.[1]
The town experiencing security instability since 2003. This is because of the rebels and armed opponents who use it as a ground to launch their attacks against the state.
In 2023, the town became under siege during the 2023 Sudan conflict and fell to the Rapid Support Forces in August 2023.[2]
The town is home to the University of Zalingei.[3]
The city is served by the Zalingei Airport (IATA: ZLX, ICAO: HSZA).
Köppen-Geiger climate classification system classifies its climate as hot semi-arid (BSh). The daytime temperatures are always hot and are the hottest in March, April and May when they may reach 40 °C (104 °F). The rainy season is in the middle of the year when the temperature difference between day and night is the least, when the daytime temperatures are cooler but still hot and is the coolest in August. On the other hand, the nighttime temperatures are the coolest from November to February, when the temperature difference between day and night is the most, and nighttime temperatures drop to as low as 6 °C (43 °F).