Why It Matters
Drone strikes attributed to Sudan’s army reportedly killed more than 200 people in West Kordofan and Abyei, including mourners and market-goers. The attacks add to a conflict that has displaced more than 14 million people and left 20 million facing acute hunger.
What Happened
Strikes in West Kordofan on Sunday evening reportedly killed 150 people. A truck carrying mourners was hit in Al-Dabab, and a funeral tent was also struck. Army drones separately bombed a market in Al-Mujlad, according to the supplied account.
On Monday, a drone hit a market in Abyei, killing 73 people, Information Minister Yohana Akol Ngor said. A military source said the army targeted the market because it supplied fuel to the Rapid Support Forces, or RSF.
South Sudan summoned Sudan’s ambassador to lodge a formal protest. South Sudan became independent from Sudan in 2011.
Sudan’s army denied attacking civilians, including in cases where RSF fighters were believed to be present. Médecins Sans Frontières treated wounded people at Ameth Bek Hospital in Abyei.
Christian Lindauer said the hospital had received more than 20 patients, including several in critical condition. A separate drone strike near Khartoum airport killed four people, including three children, while air defenses reportedly brought down several RSF drones in the area.
By the Numbers
200+ — Reported deaths from several drone strikes
150 — Reported deaths in West Kordofan on Sunday evening
73 — Reported deaths in the Abyei market strike
200 — Approximate number of mourners traveling in the truck hit in Al-Dabab
145 — Reported deaths among mourners in the truck
5 — Reported deaths in the funeral tent
150 — Reported injuries in the attacks
20+ — Patients treated by Médecins Sans Frontières at Ameth Bek Hospital
4 — Deaths in the Khartoum airport-area strike
3 — Children killed near Khartoum airport
Zoom Out
Fighting in Kordofan has intensified over the last year. Greater Kordofan comprises West Kordofan, South Kordofan and North Kordofan.
The United Nations said drone strikes were killing civilians, including children, and disrupting essential services. The war has forced more than 14 million people from their homes, while 20 million face acute hunger.
What’s Next
South Sudan’s protest places the Abyei strike before Sudan’s diplomatic mission. Humanitarian workers continue treating casualties, while fighting between Sudan’s army and the RSF remains active across Kordofan and elsewhere in the country.