Drone Strike in Sudan Kills At Least 50,Including 33 Children
SOUTH KORDOFAN,SUDAN - A drone strike in SudanS South Kordofan state has killed at least 50 people,including 33 children,according to reports from the Sudanese military and aid organizations. The attack,which occured last weekend,is the latest escalation in the ongoing conflict between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
The violence underscores the devastating impact of the year-long power struggle on sudan’s civilian population. More than 40,000 people have been killed as fighting erupted in April 2023, according to the World Health Organization, with the actual death toll believed to be considerably higher. Twelve million have been displaced, creating a humanitarian crisis of immense scale. The recent surge in fighting,especially following the RSF’s takeover of Al Fashir in Darfur,has led to widespread atrocities including executions,rapes,and sexual assaults.
Sudanese military officials have blamed the RSF for the South Kordofan attack, alleging the use of drones to target civilians. The RSF has, in turn, accused the military of a drone strike on the border with Chad, sharing a video depicting billowing smoke, though its veracity and any resulting casualties remain unconfirmed. The Associated Press has been unable to independently verify the video,and Sudan’s military has yet to issue a statement.
Hundreds of civilians have been killed in recent weeks as fighting has intensified, particularly in Darfur. While thousands have managed to escape the violence, many more remain trapped or are feared dead. The conflict began as a dispute between army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo over the integration of the RSF into the regular army, but has sence expanded into a broader struggle for control of the country.
