2 killed, 17 injured in RSF drone strike on displacement shelter in southern Sudan: Medics

Adel Abdel Rahim

At least two people were killed and 17 others injured, including women and children, when a drone strike by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) hit a displacement shelter in the southern Sudanese city of El-Obeid, a medical group said Monday.

In a statement, the Sudan Doctors Network said the strike targeted a unified displacement shelter in the city, injuring nine children and three women among the victims.

The network condemned what it described as the deliberate targeting of displaced civilians, calling attacks on shelters housing people fleeing violence a “blatant violation” of humanitarian law and international norms.

The network said continued attacks on the city over the past week had endangered civilians and further worsened humanitarian conditions.

It urged the international community and humanitarian organizations to act to protect civilians and press for an end to attacks on civilian sites.

The attack came as African regional bloc the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) called for an immediate halt to attacks on El-Obeid.

For nearly two weeks, El-Obeid has witnessed drone attacks blamed on the RSF targeting the main power station, fuel depots, and other civilian facilities, leaving dozens dead and injured, while the group has yet to comment on the accusations.

Last month, the UN warned of escalating drone attacks in Sudan’s Kordofan region, saying the strikes killed at least 880 civilians between this January and April.

Sudan has been engulfed in conflict since 2023, when fighting erupted between the army and the RSF over plans to integrate the paramilitary force into the military. The war has triggered one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, killing tens of thousands and displacing nearly 13 million people.

*Writing by Tarek Chouiref