A series of drone strikes on the army-controlled town of Kalogi in Sudan’s South Kordofan state has killed dozens of civilians, including children, after a kindergarten and a hospital were hit during an assault linked to the Rapid Support Forces and their allied SPLM-N faction.
Local administrator Essam al-Din al-Sayed told AFP that the attack unfolded in three waves on Thursday, first striking a kindergarten, then a hospital, and a third time as people tried to rescue the children. He spoke via a Starlink connection, one of the few ways to reach the area due to poor communication lines and restricted access.
UNICEF said more than 10 children aged five to seven were killed. Sudan’s army-aligned foreign ministry placed the total death toll at 79, including 43 children. “Killing children in their school is a horrific violation of children’s rights,” UNICEF Representative Sheldon Yett said, urging all parties to end the attacks and allow humanitarian access.
The assault comes as fighting intensifies across South Kordofan, where the SPLM-N faction loyal to Abdelaziz al-Hilu holds significant territory. Since April 2023, clashes between the army and the RSF have killed tens of thousands and displaced nearly 12 million people. Independent verification in the region remains difficult.
Tensions have escalated sharply since the RSF seized El-Fasher in late October, pushing east into Kordofan amid reports of mass killings, sexual violence, looting and abductions. UN Human Rights chief Volker Turk warned on Thursday that he feared “another wave of atrocities in Sudan amid a surge in fierce fighting,” saying the violence in Kordofan echoed the “horrific events in El Fasher.”
According to the UN, at least 269 civilians have been killed in North Kordofan since the RSF captured Bara on October 25. Last week, an army drone strike in Kauda, the SPLM-N stronghold, killed at least 48 people, the UN said. More than 40,000 people have fled Kordofan in the past month.
Analysts say the RSF advance is designed to break the army’s defensive ring around central Sudan and clear a path toward major cities, including Khartoum.
The Kalogi strike came as both sides traded accusations over a series of drone attacks elsewhere. The RSF accused the army of hitting the Adre border crossing with Chad on Friday in an attempt to block aid. The military has not responded to these claims. Local sources said that an explosion reported in the area appeared to have been caused by transport vehicles catching fire after a petrol canister detonated. Satellite imagery showed no signs of smoke or fire in Adre on Thursday or Friday.
The army has also accused the United Arab Emirates of supplying the RSF through Chad, claims UN experts have described as credible. Abu Dhabi has repeatedly denied the allegation.
In North Darfur, the World Food Programme said one of its trucks was attacked last Thursday near Hamra El-Sheikh while transporting food to families displaced from El-Fasher to Tawila. The truck’s cabin was destroyed and its driver seriously injured.