At least 40 people in Sudan have been killed in a drone strike that targeted a funeral taking place outside the army-held city of el-Obeid in North Kordofan state, officials and activists say.
The paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) are suspected of carrying out the attack in al-Luweib village as mourners gathered in a tent. While the RSF has not yet issued a statement regarding the claims, the repercussions of the strike have added to the already tense situation in the region.
Many fatalities occurred before victims could reach medical facilities in el-Obeid, a city that connects the capital, Khartoum, to the western region of Darfur. Following this event, fighting has intensified in the oil-rich Kordofan area, with about 20,000 individuals fleeing to el-Obeid after the RSF seized control of the nearby town of Bara.
Reports indicate that Bara fell concurrently with the city of el-Fasher, previously a stronghold for the army in Darfur. Following these developments, alarming accounts of mass killings, sexual violence, abductions, and extensive looting have surfaced from el-Fasher, attributed to RSF fighters.
The United Nations has reported instances of summary executions conducted by RSF fighters in the seized towns. Such actions could potentially amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity, as warned by the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Despite RSF's leader pledging to investigate these incidents, there are widespread accusations that the actions of the RSF are ethnically motivated, specifically targeting non-Arab populations. The UN has recently categorized the humanitarian crisis in Sudan as the world's largest, with over 150,000 lives claimed and approximately 12 million people displaced since hostilities escalated in April 2023.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres urged for an immediate cessation of the violence, depicting the situation as spiraling out of control. He has called for negotiations to resolve the conflict, as humanitarian needs continue to rise.
A response from a Sudanese government source indicated that the authorities are considering a proposal from the US for a truce, as multiple international parties advocate for a ceasefire and a detailed plan to end the conflict.
