A drone strike on a funeral in el-Obeid killed at least four people and wounded others, rights groups Sudan Doctors Network and Emergency Lawyers report. Emergency Lawyers says the cemetery attack was part of a series of drone strikes since Wednesday evening that have killed at least 23 people. El-Obeid, held by the army, is a key frontline in Sudan's three-year civil war in the oil-rich Kordofan region, and the conflict has triggered a catastrophic humanitarian crisis.
Drone Strike Hits Funeral In El-Obeid; Rights Groups Say Dozens Killed In Series Of Attacks
El Obeid has been targeted in several drone attacks including when this picture was taken in March [Los Angeles Times via Getty Images]
A drone strike on a funeral at a cemetery in the Sudanese city of el-Obeid has killed at least four people and wounded several others, rights groups Sudan Doctors Network and Emergency Lawyers said. Emergency Lawyers added that the cemetery attack was part of a wave of drone strikes that began on Wednesday evening and have killed at least 23 people in total.
Both organisations accuse the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) of carrying out the strikes. The RSF has not issued any public comment on the allegations.
Local Impact And Eyewitness Accounts
Emergency Lawyers reported that drones also struck residential neighbourhoods, the airport district and areas surrounding an army base. The group said 13 civilians died when people gathered near destroyed houses, and that five civilians had been killed in earlier attacks. In a separate incident, both rights groups said a lorry driver delivering food supplies was killed when his vehicle was hit.
[Getty Images/BBC]
"It is tragic. The roofs of houses collapsed on their occupants. When you look at some houses, you feel no-one could have survived," a resident told the AFP news agency after the strikes.
Strategic Context And Humanitarian Toll
El-Obeid, currently held by the army, lies in Sudan's oil-rich Kordofan region and has become a major frontline in the country's three-year civil war that began after a breakdown between the army and the RSF leadership over the country's future. Analysts warn that effective control of Kordofan would give a side leverage over much of Sudan's oil production and a large portion of territory.
The conflict has produced a severe humanitarian emergency: more than 11 million people have been forced from their homes and about 28 million face acute hunger. There are no definitive overall death-toll figures, but estimates range from at least 150,000 to possibly as high as 400,000.
Rights organisations describe the strikes on el-Obeid as systematic and repeated over several days. Independent verification is difficult in many affected areas because of ongoing fighting and restricted access for journalists and aid agencies.
Sources: Sudan Doctors Network; Emergency Lawyers; AFP reporting.
Help us improve.
