Dozens Killed as RSF Drone Strike Hits Village in Sudan’s North Kordofan

By: Chioma Madonna Ndukwu

Dozens Killed as RSF Drone Strike Hits Village in Sudan’s North Kordofan

At least 40 civilians have been killed in a drone strike carried out by Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in North Kordofan province, central Sudan, according to local officials.

The state’s humanitarian affairs commissioner, who spoke to Al Jazeera on Monday, said the attack targeted residents in the village of Al Luweib, located east of the provincial capital, El Obeid.

Authorities in North Kordofan described the strike as “a new crime added to the RSF’s repeated atrocities against civilians,” confirming that women, children, and the elderly were among the victims.

The government also called on the international community to declare the RSF a terrorist organisation, accusing it of committing ethnically and racially motivated attacks on unarmed civilians.

Local sources said the RSF drone struck a funeral gathering in Al Luweib, killing dozens instantly and leaving many others wounded. The assault came shortly after the RSF had warned that it would soon launch an attack on El Obeid, urging residents to evacuate through what it called “safe corridors.”

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) reports that over 38,000 people have fled North and South Kordofan since late October as violence between the RSF and the Sudanese army intensifies.

The RSF recently seized control of the city of Bara in North Kordofan, expanding its grip in the region amid its ongoing conflict with the Sudanese Armed Forces.

Although the group denies targeting civilians, local and international organisations have repeatedly accused it of war crimes and massacres.

On October 26, the RSF captured Al Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, where human rights groups reported mass killings of civilians. Analysts warn that the continued fighting could further divide Sudan along ethnic and regional lines.

Since April 2023, Sudan has been engulfed in a brutal war between the RSF and the national army, a conflict that has displaced millions and defied multiple regional and international mediation efforts aimed at restoring peace

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Chioma Ndukwu

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