At least 40 people in Sudan have been killed in a drone strike that targeted a funeral that was taking place outside the army-held city of el-Obeid in North Kordofan state, officials and activists say. They blamed the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) for Monday's attack on al-Luweib village as mourners had gathered in a tent. The RSF has not yet commented. Many reportedly died before getting to hospital in el-Obeid, a strategic city that connects the capital, Khartoum, to the western region of Darfur.
Fighting has intensified in this oil-rich Kordofan area, and around 20,000 people fled to el-Obeid last week after the RSF captured Bara town, 30km (18 miles) north of the city. The town fell at the same time as the city of el-Fasher, which had been the army's last stronghold in Darfur. There have been reports of mass killings, sexual violence, abductions, and widespread looting in el-Fasher by RSF fighters.
The UN has reported summary executions of civilians by RSF fighters in Bara. Such atrocities could amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity, the International Criminal Court (ICC) has warned. The RSF leader has promised to investigate violations but denied widespread allegations of targeted ethnic killings.
The ICC's statement coincided with confirmation from global food security experts that el-Fasher residents were suffering from famine following the RSF's siege of the city. The UN is warning that the humanitarian crisis is rapidly worsening, with calls for an immediate halt to violence. UN chief António Guterres urged both the army and the RSF to seek a ceasefire. Despite several rounds of peace talks in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, efforts to broker a truce have failed, highlighting the urgent need for humanitarian intervention as the civil war continues to claim lives and devastate communities in Sudan.
Fighting has intensified in this oil-rich Kordofan area, and around 20,000 people fled to el-Obeid last week after the RSF captured Bara town, 30km (18 miles) north of the city. The town fell at the same time as the city of el-Fasher, which had been the army's last stronghold in Darfur. There have been reports of mass killings, sexual violence, abductions, and widespread looting in el-Fasher by RSF fighters.
The UN has reported summary executions of civilians by RSF fighters in Bara. Such atrocities could amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity, the International Criminal Court (ICC) has warned. The RSF leader has promised to investigate violations but denied widespread allegations of targeted ethnic killings.
The ICC's statement coincided with confirmation from global food security experts that el-Fasher residents were suffering from famine following the RSF's siege of the city. The UN is warning that the humanitarian crisis is rapidly worsening, with calls for an immediate halt to violence. UN chief António Guterres urged both the army and the RSF to seek a ceasefire. Despite several rounds of peace talks in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, efforts to broker a truce have failed, highlighting the urgent need for humanitarian intervention as the civil war continues to claim lives and devastate communities in Sudan.
