A paramilitary drone attack on the army-controlled town of Kalogi in South Kordofan, Sudan, has killed dozens of civilians, including children, local officials reported on Sunday.
The assault, which took place on Thursday, involved three strikes, targeting first a kindergarten, then a hospital, and finally striking again as people attempted to rescue the children, Essam al-Din al-Sayed, head of the Kalogi administrative unit, told AFP via Starlink.
Al-Sayed blamed the attacks on the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and their ally, the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North faction led by Abdelaziz al-Hilu.
Since April 2023, Sudan’s army and the RSF have been embroiled in a violent conflict that has killed tens of thousands and displaced nearly 12 million people.
Independent verification from South Kordofan remains challenging due to poor communications, restricted access, and ongoing insecurity.
The UN children’s agency reported that more than 10 children aged five to seven were killed in the attack, while the army-aligned foreign ministry put the overall death toll at 79, including 43 children.
“Killing children in their school is a horrific violation of children’s rights,” said UNICEF Representative for Sudan, Sheldon Yett, urging all sides to stop attacks and allow humanitarian access.
Since their late-October capture of El-Fasher, the army’s last stronghold in western Sudan, the RSF has advanced east into the oil-rich Kordofan region, which is divided into three states. The UN reports that more than 40,000 people have fled the area in the past month.
Analysts say the paramilitary offensive aims to break the army’s defensive lines in central Sudan and prepare for further attempts to retake major cities, including the capital, Khartoum.
