A devastating drone strike in the Sudanese city of El-Obeid has resulted in the deaths of at least ten individuals, including seven children, according to medical sources. The attack occurred on Monday in the center of the army-controlled capital of North Kordofan, as the rival paramilitary group, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), has been attempting to encircle the city for several months.
El-Obeid, a vital city in the southern Kordofan region, has been at the epicenter of ongoing conflict since April 2023, as clashes between the Sudanese army and the RSF have escalated. The city serves as a crucial junction that links the national capital, Khartoum, to the expansive and increasingly volatile western Darfur region. The strategic importance of El-Obeid has been underscored by significant military maneuvers in the area, which have seen the RSF make notable advances following their prior victories in Darfur.
Eyewitness accounts detail that the drone strike specifically targeted a residential building, highlighting the risks civilians face amid the ongoing hostilities. Just a day earlier, drone attacks had caused power outages in El-Obeid but fortunately did not result in any casualties.
Compounding the dire situation, the ongoing conflict has led to widespread starvation, with hundreds of thousands of individuals facing severe food insecurity. The violence has resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands and displaced over 11 million people, both internally and across borders. The United Nations has referred to the conflict as a “war of atrocities,” signifying the extreme humanitarian crisis emerging from these hostilities.
Last week, a coalition of armed groups allied with the Sudanese army announced that they had reclaimed several towns south of El-Obeid, a development that a military source indicated could help facilitate access between El-Obeid and Dilling, another city currently under siege in South Kordofan. The battle for control over this strategic corridor continues to put immense pressure on local populations, who are bearing the brunt of the escalating violence and humanitarian disaster in the region.
