RSF drone attack on humanitarian convoy deepens Sudan war crisis in Kordofan region
At least three people were killed and four aid workers injured after a Sudan drone strike hit a humanitarian convoy in the Kordofan region, the latest escalation in the country’s ongoing civil war.
The trucks, carrying food and essential supplies to Kadugli and Dilling in South Kordofan, were attacked in the Kartala area, according to the Sudan Doctors Network, a local monitoring group. The organization said the drones belonged to the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
It remains unclear which aid agency operated the convoy.
Rising Drone Warfare in Kordofan
The Kordofan region has become the epicenter of fighting between the RSF and the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), whose war erupted in April 2023.
According to the World Health Organization, at least 40,000 people have been killed and 12 million displaced since the conflict began, though aid groups warn the true toll could be far higher due to limited access in remote areas.
Drone warfare has intensified in recent months. In February alone, at least 77 people were killed in Kordofan due to drone attacks, aid groups report. Thursday’s strike marks the second attack on an aid convoy in less than a month. Earlier in the month, a convoy operated by the World Food Programme was hit in North Kordofan.
Despite a recent UN convoy delivering supplies to more than 130,000 people in Kadugli and Dilling, humanitarian workers say escalating violence is severely hampering relief operations.
UN Report Warns of Genocide Hallmarks
The attack came as a UN-backed fact-finding mission released findings on alleged crimes committed by the RSF in El-Fasher, the capital of North Darfur.
The mission, established by the UN Human Rights Council, concluded that evidence gathered from late October operations bore the “hallmarks of genocide.”
Mission chair Mohammed Chande Othman said the scale and coordination of the violence demonstrated it was not random but part of a planned and organized operation.
Investigators interviewed 320 witnesses, conducted visits to Chad and South Sudan, and verified 25 videos. Survivors described widespread killings, indiscriminate shootings and mass executions, with roads reportedly filled with bodies.
Following the report, the United States sanctioned three RSF commanders and called for an immediate ceasefire.
Humanitarian Crisis Deepens
The latest Sudan drone strike highlights the growing risks facing aid workers and civilians in conflict zones. With fighting intensifying in Kordofan, relief agencies warn that urgent protection for civilians is needed now more than ever.
As the Sudan war enters another deadly phase, humanitarian access remains fragile and millions continue to face displacement, hunger and insecurity.
Source: Arab News & NBC News