Drone strikes have killed more than 20 civilians in Sudan this week, with attacks targeting civilian vehicles en route to social gatherings, according to rights groups. The escalating use of unmanned aircraft has become a prominent feature of the ongoing conflict in the northeastern African nation.
On Tuesday, a drone strike on the outskirts of Khartoum killed 10 civilians, including five women from the same family, as they were traveling to a wedding. The Sudan Doctors Network, which has been monitoring violence between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), attributed this attack to the RSF. The group stated that the strike, which occurred on a road west of Omdurman, was deliberate and carried out using a guided drone, resulting in the deaths of all occupants of the vehicle, which subsequently caught fire.
Separately, a drone strike on Tuesday near a water facility in North Kordofan province hit a transport vehicle, killing two people, according to Emergency Lawyers, an organization that tracks violence in Sudan. The day prior, 13 civilians, including five women, were killed when their vehicle was struck by a drone while they were heading to a wedding in the town of al-Shaatout, Emergency Lawyers reported.
"This attack is part of an escalating pattern of drone attacks on civilians as drones continue to fly over the northern parts of the province...monitoring residents’ movements," the group said in a statement. North Kordofan has experienced a surge in drone strikes as the RSF reportedly closes in on the strategic city of el-Obeid. The United Nations has noted that drone strikes in the city have damaged civilian infrastructure, including power facilities and residential areas, and have targeted bridges and crucial supply routes.
The war in Sudan began in April 2023, stemming from long-standing tensions between the army and the RSF. The conflict has resulted in at least 59,000 deaths, displaced approximately 13 million people, and pushed significant portions of the country toward famine. More than 30 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance.