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Sudan Drone Attacks Kill Over 100 Civilians Amid Escalating Kordofan Conflict
At least 104 civilians, including 43 children, killed in drone attacks in Sudan’s Kordofan region as fighting intensifies between SAF and RSF. UN warns attacks on hospitals may constitute war crimes.
MH
by Muhammad Hashir
2025-12-17
Sudan Drone Attacks Kill Over 100 Civilians Amid Escalating Kordofan Conflict

At least 104 civilians have been killed in drone attacks across Sudan’s Kordofan region as the brutal civil war between rival military factions enters its third year, escalating to unprecedented levels of violence.

The central Kordofan region has been battered by attacks since early December, following the capture of a key army base by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Babnusa after a week of intense fighting. Tens of thousands have been displaced, and health facilities are overwhelmed amid ongoing cholera and dengue outbreaks.

The deadliest assault struck a kindergarten and hospital in Kalogi, South Kordofan, claiming 89 lives, including 43 children and eight women. United Nations human rights chief Volker Turk condemned the attacks, emphasizing that targeting medical facilities violates international humanitarian law.

In a separate attack on December 13, six Bangladeshi UN peacekeepers were killed when drones struck their base in Kadugli, the capital of South Kordofan. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres described the strikes as “horrific” and warned that targeting peacekeepers may constitute war crimes under international law. The following day, Dilling Military Hospital came under fire, resulting in at least nine deaths and 17 injuries, many involving medical staff.

The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) have blamed the RSF for the attacks, though the paramilitary group has not issued a response.

The humanitarian crisis has worsened with epidemics on the rise. North Kordofan’s Health Minister Iman Malik reported 13,609 cholera cases and 730 dengue fever infections, with nearly a third of health facilities out of service due to the conflict. Over 40,000 civilians have fled North Kordofan, while many remain trapped in besieged cities such as Kadugli and Dilling.

The violence follows the RSF’s October seizure of el-Fasher in Darfur and the subsequent expansion of conflict into central Sudan. Researchers at Yale University’s Humanitarian Research Lab found evidence of systematic killings of fleeing civilians and attempts by the RSF to destroy bodies to cover up atrocities.

International peace efforts have been restarted, with SAF chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan meeting Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on December 15 and expressing readiness to collaborate with U.S. President Donald Trump on peace initiatives. Egypt and the United States also called for a comprehensive ceasefire, rejecting any attempts to divide Sudan.

Sudan has now topped the International Rescue Committee’s Emergency Watchlist for three consecutive years. Since the war began in April 2023, UN figures estimate over 40,000 fatalities, while aid groups suggest the true toll is much higher. More than 14 million people have been displaced, marking the world’s largest ongoing humanitarian crisis.
Tagged:

DroneAttacks

CivilWar

SudanCrisis

KordofanConflict
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