A paramilitary drone attack on the army-held town of Kalogi in Sudan’s South Kordofan state struck a kindergarten and a hospital on Thursday, killing dozens of civilians, a local official and aid agencies said.
Essam al-Din al-Sayed, head of the Kalogi administrative unit, told AFP via a Starlink connection that three strikes hit the town “— first a kindergarten, then a hospital and a third time as people tried to rescue the children.” He blamed the assault on the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and their ally, the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North faction led by Abdelaziz al-Hilu.
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The UN children’s agency said the attack killed more than 10 children aged between five and seven. Sudan’s army-aligned foreign ministry put the overall death toll at 79, including 43 children. UNICEF Representative for Sudan Sheldon Yett called the killings “a horrific violation of children’s rights” and urged all sides to halt attacks and allow unhindered humanitarian access.
The strikes come amid a wider escalation in fighting that erupted in April 2023 when clashes between the regular army and the RSF spiraled into nationwide war. The conflict has killed tens of thousands, displaced nearly 12 million people and triggered acute food insecurity, according to UN estimates and humanitarian agencies.
In recent weeks the RSF has pressed eastward from western gains, including its late-October capture of El-Fasher, the army’s last major stronghold in Darfur. Analysts and UN officials say the paramilitary offensive aims to break the army’s defensive arc around central Sudan and set conditions for an advance toward major cities, including the capital, Khartoum.
More than 40,000 people have fled the Kordofan region in the past month, the United Nations reports. The fall of El-Fasher was accompanied by reports of mass killings, sexual violence and looting that drew international condemnation.
The United Nations has warned of “intensified hostilities” in the months ahead despite a November statement in which the RSF said it accepted a truce proposal offered by mediators including the United States, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt. “There is no sign of de-escalation,” UN human rights chief Volker Turk said, warning that developments on the ground indicate preparations for further fighting.
Humanitarian groups have repeatedly appealed for access to front-line areas and protection for civilians. Medical facilities and schools have been targeted across Sudan during the conflict, reducing the capacity to treat the wounded and shelter displaced families.
Local officials in South Kordofan said communication and access problems have slowed casualty verification and relief deliveries. With fighting concentrated around key towns and transport routes, aid agencies warn that delays in assistance could deepen an already severe humanitarian crisis in the region.
Investigations by independent monitors and human rights organizations will be needed to corroborate claims about responsibility and to document the full human cost of the Kalogi strikes, observers said. For now, families in the town and those who fled nearby areas face mounting insecurity and a shrinking humanitarian response.
By Abdiwahab Ahmed
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
