Drone Strike Kills Dozens at Sudan Funeral Amid Escalating Conflict
A drone strike in Sudan’s North Kordofan state has killed at least 40 people attending a funeral, officials and activists reported. The attack, blamed on the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), occurred Monday in al-Luweib village, 15km east of the army-held city of el-Obeid, as mourners gathered in a tent. The RSF has not yet commented on the incident.
Many of the deceased reportedly succumbed to their injuries before reaching hospitals in el-Obeid, a strategic hub connecting the capital, Khartoum, to the conflict-ridden Darfur region. This strike highlights the escalating violence in the oil-rich Kordofan area, where roughly 20,000 people fled to el-Obeid just last week after the RSF captured Bara town, 30km (18 miles) to the north.
The fall of Bara coincided with the RSF’s capture of el-Fasher, previously the army’s last stronghold in Darfur. Disturbing reports from el-Fasher detail mass killings, sexual violence, abductions, and widespread looting by RSF fighters. The UN has also documented summary executions of civilians by RSF fighters in Bara.
Despite promises from the RSF leader to investigate “violations,” his group denies allegations of ethnically motivated killings in el-Fasher, which reportedly target non-Arab populations. Adding to the grim picture, global food security experts confirmed Monday that el-Fasher residents are now suffering from famine following an 18-month RSF siege. The UN-accredited Integrated Food Security Phase network (IPC) also warns that Kadugli in South Kordofan state, nearly 300km south of el-Obeid, is experiencing the most catastrophic level of hunger, having been similarly surrounded and cut off by the RSF.
UN chief António Guterres has issued an urgent plea for an immediate cessation of hostilities, warning that Sudan’s humanitarian crisis is spiraling out of control. “The horrifying crisis in Sudan… is spiralling out of control,” he stated at a Doha summit. “El-Fasher and the surrounding areas… have been an epicentre of suffering, hunger, violence and displacement – and since the Rapid Support Forces entered el-Fasher last weekend, the situation is growing worse by the day.” Guterres urged both the Sudanese army and the RSF to engage in negotiations and “bring an end to this nightmare of violence.”
A Sudanese government source informed AFP that a US proposal for a truce is under consideration. Washington and other international partners have been actively pushing for a ceasefire and a clear roadmap to resolve the conflict. However, multiple rounds of peace talks in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain have previously failed, with neither side demonstrating a willingness to agree to a ceasefire.
Mohamed Ismail, North Kordofan’s humanitarian aid commissioner, confirmed the details of the attack to the Sudan Tribune new website, stating: “Drones belonging to the Rapid Support Forces militia attacked citizens who were at a funeral, resulting in the death of 40 people and the injury of dozens.” The volunteer aid group, the North Kordofan Resistance Committee, also confirmed the Monday attack. Last week, the UN noted that el-Obeid was already struggling to manage the influx of displaced people from Bara.
Since the civil war erupted in April 2023, the conflict between the army and RSF has claimed over 150,000 lives and displaced approximately 12 million people, constituting what the UN has termed the world’s largest humanitarian crisis.
