Sudan’s Deadly Drone War: Over 160 Killed as Attacks Target Civilians
More than 160 people have died in recent drone attacks across Sudan. Rights groups say these unmanned aircraft are targeting civilians. This marks a dangerous new stage in the country’s civil war.
Drone strikes killed three children in Khartoum on Monday. This was reported by Emergency Lawyers. This group tracks violence against civilians in Sudan. Over 160 people died in western regions since last Friday.
Both the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and government forces are blamed. They have been fighting since April 2023. The increased use of drones in recent months has caused more civilian deaths.
The worst recent attack happened on Sunday evening. It was near a market in Al-Dibab town. This town is in West Kordofan state. A drone hit a transport hub where villagers had gathered. They were looking for rides home after market day.
This attack killed 80 people. Another 47 wounded people went to Al-Mujlad. Sadly, 30 of them later died from their injuries. The RSF administration and Emergency Lawyers accused the army of this attack.
On Monday, another drone strike hit Nyala. Nyala is an RSF stronghold in South Darfur. Medical sources said 17 people died there. These included seven RSF officers. Twenty-three others were wounded.
On Friday, an RSF drone attack hit displaced people. This was in Sudan’s Blue Nile province. That strike killed 41 people. Emergency Lawyers called it a humanitarian tragedy.
The United Nations condemned these deadly attacks on Monday. Stephane Dujarric is the UN spokesperson. He said they are worried about drone strikes killing children. These attacks also stop important services.
The war in Sudan started in April 2023. Army leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and RSF leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo had a conflict. Mr. Dagalo is also known as Hemedti. They disagreed about integrating the RSF into the national army.
The fighting has killed at least 59,000 people. This is according to conflict monitor ACLED. Aid groups believe the actual number is higher. About 13 million people have been forced from their homes. This is the world’s largest humanitarian crisis.
Across Sudan, 33.7 million people need food support. This includes 17.3 million children. An estimated 825,000 children face severe hunger.
The United States asked the UN Security Council for a humanitarian truce. They also wanted to expand an arms embargo on Sudan. China and Russia did not agree to widen the embargo.
