RSF Airstrikes Kill 23 Civilians Amid Ongoing Sudan Conflict
Amid the turmoil, a food supply truck at the city's southern entrance was also struck, killing its driver and disrupting already fragile supply chains.
Sudan’s North Kordofan capital, El-Obeid, has been rattled by a series of devastating drone attacks attributed to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The two-day onslaught has resulted in significant civilian casualties and widespread chaos, with strikes targeting homes, a funeral, and essential supply routes, as reported by a Sudanese rights group and healthcare officials.
According to the Emergency Lawyers group, RSF operated drones launched relentless assaults on Wednesday and Thursday, killing at least 23 civilians and wounding 19 others. The casualty figures are feared to rise due to sustained drone presence and limited medical access.
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The initial barrage hit late Wednesday, claiming five lives and injuring 12. A subsequent strike disrupted a funeral at Dalil Cemetery, where mourners gathered to pay their respects to earlier victims. This attack left four dead and seven injured, turning a funeral into another tragedy.
The violence escalated on Thursday, penetrating further into El-Obeid’s urban landscape. The targets included densely populated areas like Al-Muwazzafeen and Al-Matar, and locations near the Sudanese army’s 5th Infantry Division headquarters. Thirteen civilians died as residents attempted to retrieve bodies and aid the injured amidst the chaos.
Amid the turmoil, a food supply truck at the city’s southern entrance was also struck, killing its driver and disrupting already fragile supply chains.
The Emergency Lawyers condemned the indiscriminate nature of these strikes on civilian zones, accusing the RSF of failing to differentiate between military and civilian targets. They stressed that such actions might constitute grave breaches of international humanitarian law.
Responses from the RSF and Sudanese authorities remain forthcoming as these events unfold.
Local medical personnel report deteriorating conditions in hospitals, which are struggling to cope with the inflow of casualties. A spokesperson for the Sudan Doctors Network revealed that RSF drones also targeted a gas station, though the exact breakdown of civilian versus fighter fatalities remains unclear.
Humanitarian aid workers describe a community under severe duress, with schools shuttered and commercial activity significantly reduced. An official from Mercy Corps noted that marketplaces are barely functioning as residents take refuge indoors or navigate cautiously to find shelter.
The United Nations has previously highlighted the intensifying drone warfare in Kordofan, which exacerbates civilian harm and hinders aid delivery to those in dire need.
Since the outbreak of conflict between the Sudanese army and the RSF in April 2023, El-Obeid has become a critical zone of tension, witnessing shifts in control amid ongoing warfare. The conflict, now in its fourth year, has deeply fractured Sudan, with control split among different regions.
Experts assert that drone warfare is increasingly shaping the conflict, extending its reach into the heart of civilian areas. Humanitarian groups warn this technological warfare complicates casualty verification and intensifies the peril for aid response efforts, with strikes occurring suddenly and with little warning.
