Sudan: Drone Strikes Killed At Least 306 People in Three Weeks

The strikes were spread across Sudan rather than confined to one battlefield. OHCHR reported attacks in Kordofan, Darfur, Blue Nile, Khartoum and other states. This wide reach matters because civilians and essential services were exposed in many communities.

The targets included homes, markets, hospitals, displacement sites, power stations and water sources. Some attacks struck people who had already fled earlier fighting. Between 6 and 10 October, strikes attributed to military government forces hit shelters in Ghubeish and El Nuhud, West Kordofan. An alleged RSF strike later hit displaced people near Abu Shendi in Blue Nile.

The pattern damaged both civilian life and the systems people need to survive. An attack on Um Darfa hospital in Blue Nile seriously injured two health workers and made the facility non-operational. The strikes also caused further displacement and deepened Sudan’s humanitarian crisis, according to OHCHR.

The first three weeks of October brought a devastating toll from drone attacks across Sudan. The UN human rights office recorded at least 306 deaths and hundreds of injuries. The figure includes civilians killed at homes, markets, displacement sites and other locations.

Several individual attacks explain the scale. Strikes on shelters in Ghubeish and El Nuhud killed at least 25 civilians. An alleged RSF strike near Abu Shendi killed at least 31 people. A repeat “double tap” strike on a transportation truck in Dibab killed at least 139 people. A separate attack in Abyei killed more than 80.

The total may not capture every victim, since the report gives a minimum death count and says hundreds were injured. UN human rights chief Volker Türk said drones already caused the majority of conflict-related civilian deaths in Sudan during the year. He called the rising use of drones deeply disturbing.

The Sudanese Armed Forces, or SAF, are Sudan’s regular national military. The Rapid Support Forces, or RSF, are a separate paramilitary organization with major armed power. Both became central actors because Sudan’s state authority and security system were divided between them.

The war began after a political transition stalled and the two forces disagreed over power and the proposed integration of the RSF into the regular army. That dispute escalated into open fighting in April 2023. The conflict now involves battles for territory, government control and influence, with affiliates and outside arms flows adding to the danger. These background details come from established knowledge beyond the supplied article.

The article attributes drone strikes to both sides. SAF-linked attacks hit displacement shelters in West Kordofan, while an alleged RSF strike killed displaced people near Abu Shendi. Because both forces use drones and attack across several regions, civilians face danger regardless of which group controls their area.

A drone strike is an attack carried out by an unmanned aircraft. The aircraft may be remotely controlled or operate with automated guidance. Drones can carry explosives, identify targets and attack from a distance. This makes them important in modern conflicts because forces can project violence without risking an onboard pilot.

Their reach and repeated use help explain the Sudanese toll. The article records strikes on homes, markets, hospitals, displacement sites, power stations and water sources. In Dibab, West Kordofan, a transportation truck was hit in a “double tap” repeat strike that killed at least 139 people. Such attacks can turn crowded civilian spaces into deadly targets.

Drones also allow attacks across broad areas, including territory controlled by an opposing force. OHCHR said drones accounted for the majority of conflict-related civilian deaths in Sudan this year. Their growing use therefore increases the need for accurate targeting, civilian protection and compliance with international humanitarian law.

Attacks on civilian places damage the basic conditions needed to survive. Destroyed homes leave families without shelter. Hit markets disrupt food and livelihoods. Damaged hospitals remove urgent medical care, while attacks on power and water systems threaten entire communities. The harm continues after the blast.

The article gives several examples. An alleged RSF strike on Um Darfa hospital seriously injured two health workers and left the facility non-operational. Strikes on displacement shelters in Ghubeish and El Nuhud killed at least 25 civilians. In Abyei, the attack on Amiet Market set every shop burning, according to a UN peacekeeper, leaving trader Angelina Musa Diaw with nothing.

These losses push people to flee again and make aid harder to deliver. OHCHR said vital infrastructure and services were “eviscerated,” driving further displacement and deepening the humanitarian crisis. The damage also affects children, health workers, traders and displaced families who had already escaped earlier violence.

Sudan’s war began in April 2023 when fighting broke out between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces. The SAF was the regular army. The RSF was a powerful paramilitary force. Their rivalry grew during a transition intended to move Sudan toward civilian rule after the removal of longtime president Omar al-Bashir.

The immediate crisis centered on control of the state and the security forces. The two sides disagreed over how, and how quickly, the RSF should be integrated into the regular army. Tensions over political authority, command and military reform turned into armed clashes in Khartoum and then spread across the country. These origins are established background not provided in the supplied article.

The article shows the war’s continuing consequences. Both forces are accused of drone attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure. The strikes have killed at least 306 people in October’s first three weeks and caused further displacement. The UN is calling for a ceasefire and a negotiated settlement with accountability.

International humanitarian law, or IHL, is the set of rules that limits how wars are fought. It protects civilians, wounded people, medical workers, detainees and civilian objects. It requires parties to distinguish military targets from people and places that are not taking part in fighting. These protections matter even when a war is intense.

The article applies this principle to Sudan’s drone attacks. Homes, markets, hospitals, displacement sites, power stations and water sources are civilian places unless they become lawful military targets under specific rules. An attack on Um Darfa hospital injured two health workers and made the hospital unusable. Strikes on shelters killed people who had already fled the fighting.

OHCHR chief Volker Türk urged both parties to respect IHL and not direct attacks against civilians or civilian objects. He also called for an end to arms transfers used in disregard of those obligations. Accountability and a negotiated settlement, he said, are essential to sustainable peace.