Dozens of civilians, including many children, were killed this week in a series of drone strikes in the Sudanese town of Kalogi, an area now at the center of escalating clashes between the Sudanese Army and the powerful paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The attacks, which struck a kindergarten, a hospital and rescue workers responding to earlier explosions, represent one of the deadliest episodes in the conflict’s recent expansion into South Kordofan, according to officials cited by Agence France-Presse.
Local administrators told AFP that the strikes occurred in three consecutive waves, hitting civilian locations where families had gathered and where emergency personnel were attempting to evacuate children. The official blamed the RSF and its ally — a faction of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North led by Abdelaziz al-Hilu — although independent verification remains difficult due to limited communication, restricted access and ongoing insecurity across the region.
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said that more than ten children between the ages of five and seven were killed in the attack. Sudan’s Foreign Ministry issued a higher figure, reporting 79 fatalities, among them 43 children, underscoring the scale of civilian suffering in a conflict marked by repeated violations of humanitarian norms.
“These are horrifying violations of children’s rights,” said Sheldon Yett, UNICEF’s representative for Sudan, who called on all parties to halt attacks and allow humanitarian agencies unrestricted access to the affected areas.
A Shifting Battlefield
The offensive highlights a strategic shift by the RSF, which in late October seized al-Fashir, the capital of North Darfur and the Sudanese Army’s final major stronghold in western Sudan. Analysts say the group is now pushing eastward into the Kordofan region, home to key oil deposits and divided among three federal states.
Control of Kordofan would give the RSF leverage over vital economic resources and further weaken the already embattled Sudanese Armed Forces. It could also open a path toward renewed attempts to capture major cities, including Khartoum, which has remained contested since the conflict erupted in April 2023.
Growing Humanitarian Fallout
The United Nations reports that more than 40,000 people fled the area in November, adding to the mass displacement that has defined Sudan’s deepening humanitarian emergency. Millions across the country lack food, medical care and safe shelter, while international agencies warn that funding shortages and access restrictions are putting entire communities at risk of famine.
Sudan’s escalating war — driven by a power struggle between the national army and the RSF — has fragmented the country, accelerated ethnic violence and drawn condemnation from global organizations. Yet diplomatic efforts to broker a cease-fire remain stalled, and humanitarian corridors remain largely closed.
The drone strikes in Kalogi underscore a grim reality: as frontlines shift and paramilitary forces expand their reach, civilians continue to bear the brunt of a conflict that shows no sign of abating.