A devastating scene unfolded in South Kordofan as authorities confirmed that 79 civilians, including 43 innocent children lost their lives and 38 more were left injured after a drone strike reportedly carried out by Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
According to an official statement from the state government, the attack struck the city of Kalogi in western Sudan on Thursday, firing four missiles that tore through a kindergarten, a hospital, and packed residential areas. Four women were also among those killed.
The government described the assault as a “brutal atrocity,” blaming RSF-aligned Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N).
Initial reports recorded only eight deaths, six children and a teacher but the number later surged to 79 as more bodies were found.
Authorities are urging the global community and human rights organizations to intervene, label the RSF as a “terrorist group,” and hold those responsible for what they call “inhumane acts” against civilians.
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) strongly denounced the strike. In its statement, UNICEF revealed that more than 10 victims were children between ages 5 and 7, calling the incident a “shocking violation of children’s rights.”
“Children must never be targets in war,” UNICEF Sudan Representative Sheldon Yett said, stressing that humanitarian access must be allowed immediately to reach people suffering from extreme need.
UNICEF also noted that security in the Kordofan region has rapidly collapsed since early November, triggering mass displacement and worsening humanitarian distress. More than 41,000 people have fled escalating clashes in the past month alone.
The RSF has not responded to the allegation.
North, South, and West Kordofan have been engulfed in fierce battles as the Sudanese army and RSF continue to fight for control, forcing tens of thousands into displacement. Of Sudan’s 18 states, RSF currently holds most of the Darfur region, while the army controls the majority of the remaining 13 states, including the capital, Khartoum.
Since the conflict erupted in April 2023, an estimated 40,000 lives have been lost and more than 12 million people forced from their homes, according to the World Health Organization.
