Drone attacks on a university dormitory and a centre sheltering displaced families in Sudan's central city of El-Obeid have killed at least 10 people this week. A Sudanese rights group and a medical source confirmed the attacks on Friday. The attacks came as fighting intensified in North Kordofan, a strategically important region where Sudan's army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces are battling for territory more than three years into a war.
On Wednesday, a drone struck a dormitory at the University of Kordofan that was being used to house students and civilians. The Emergency Lawyers group, a Sudanese rights organisation, reported that the attack killed five people and wounded 47 others. However, the group did not attribute responsibility for the attack. The University of Kordofan is located in El-Obeid, the capital of North Kordofan.
A day later, another drone hit a centre sheltering families displaced by fighting from across the Kordofan region. A North Kordofan government official and a medical source at a local hospital reported that the attack killed five people and injured 13 others. The government official accused the RSF of carrying out the attack, but the paramilitary group did not immediately respond to the allegation.
In recent months, both the army and the RSF have increasingly deployed drones, resulting in significant casualties. According to United Nations figures, more than 1,100 people were killed during the first five months of this year alone. El-Obeid has emerged as a key battleground in Sudan's war, owing to its strategic location at a crossroads linking the country's central and western regions.
The UN has repeatedly warned that escalating violence in El-Obeid and the broader Kordofan region risked triggering further atrocities. In July, the UN issued a red alert over conditions in the region. More than 300,000 people have been displaced from the region since the RSF captured El-Fasher, the military's last major stronghold in Darfur.
The war between Sudan's army and the RSF has had devastating consequences. Aid workers estimate that the conflict has killed more than 200,000 people, displaced more than 13 million, and created the world's largest hunger and displacement crises. The situation in El-Obeid and the broader Kordofan region remains dire.
The international community has expressed concern over the escalating violence in Sudan. The UN has called for an immediate cessation of hostilities and a return to peace negotiations. The situation in El-Obeid and the broader Kordofan region remains a major concern for humanitarian organisations and the international community.
Key points
- At least 10 people were killed in drone attacks on a university dormitory and a centre sheltering displaced families in Sudan's central city of El-Obeid.
- The attacks were carried out as fighting intensified in North Kordofan, a strategically important region where Sudan's army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces are battling for territory.
- The war between Sudan's army and the RSF has killed more than 200,000 people, displaced more than 13 million, and created the world's largest hunger and displacement crises.
