Drone strikes have escalated in central Sudan’s Kordofan region, particularly in and around the city of al-Obeid, resulting in significant civilian deaths.
The paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) are suspected of carrying out these attacks, which have become increasingly dominant in the country’s devastating civil war.
Since April 2023, the conflict has driven half of Sudan’s population into hunger and famine, decimated the economy, and killed tens of thousands of people.
In one incident, a drone strike hit a funeral gathering in al-Luweib village, killing 65 people, mostly women and children.
Another attack in early January killed a family of nine, including seven children, in al-Obeid.
Satellite imagery shows about 100 new burial mounds in two cemeteries, evidence of bombardment of the city’s power station, and construction of defensive berms around the city.
The RSF’s use of drones has been condemned by the UN human rights office, which says it constitutes a serious violation of international humanitarian law and may amount to war crimes.
The conflict has displaced millions, with over 43,000 people fleeing their homes in North Kordofan alone.
