By Nana Karikari, Senior Global Affairs Correspondent
A paramilitary drone strike killed five civilians in Sudan on the outskirts of Khartoum Saturday morning. The attack targeted a civilian vehicle traveling from White Nile province toward Omdurman, the sister city of the capital. Emergency Lawyers, a Sudanese rights group tracking violence against civilians, reported the fatalities.
The strike hit the vehicle on the Jumu’iyyah Road in southern rural Omdurman. All five passengers died in the blast. This incident marks the second drone attack in the capital region within a single week, signaling a sharp escalation in a conflict that began in April 2023.
Rapid Support Forces Held Accountable for Civilian Deaths
The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) are blamed for the strike. The paramilitary group has been at war with the Sudanese Armed Forces for over three years following disagreements over integration into the military. Emergency Lawyers issued a formal statement condemning the action.
The group stated that the RSF is fully responsible for “this crime and the resulting loss of civilian lives.” The paramilitary organization did not immediately claim the attack. The strike occurred despite the Khartoum region being largely under military control since it was recaptured by government forces last year.
Violations of International Humanitarian Law Cited
Rights monitors described the drone strike as a systematic failure to distinguish between combatants and non-combatants. Emergency Lawyers categorized the event as a grave legal breach. “What happened was a brazen violation of international humanitarian law,” the group stated.
The organization further noted that the strike constitutes “a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law, which requires the protection of civilians and prohibits targeting them under any pretext.” Legal advocates emphasized that the incident “reflects the continuation of a pattern of attacks targeting civilians on public roads and in populated areas, further worsening the humanitarian situation and expanding risks to civilian life.”
Fragile Security and Modern Warfare in African Conflicts
The Khartoum region had seen relative stability since military officials declared the area “completely free” of RSF presence. This peace allowed nearly 1.8 million displaced residents to return and the airport to resume domestic flights. However, the use of remote technology like drones mirrors a growing trend across other African conflict zones, where civilian infrastructure is increasingly at risk. According to recent ACLED Conflict Data, Sudan has seen a 47% increase in drone strikes over the last year. These platforms have become a “death trap” for civilians, with 80% of all child killings and injuries in the conflict now attributed to drone attacks. On Tuesday, a drone struck a hospital in the Jebel Awliya area, 40 kilometers south of central Khartoum, further disrupting attempts to restore basic services like electricity and water.
Regional Stability and the Global Humanitarian Crisis
As the war in Sudan enters its fourth year, UN Relief Chief Tom Fletcher warned that the “world is failing Sudan,” describing it as the largest displacement crisis on Earth. The latest UNHCR Sudan Emergency Update reveals that 11.6 million people have been forcibly displaced, with over 3 million seeking safety in neighboring countries like Chad and Egypt.
The conflict has pushed parts of the country toward famine, with two-thirds of the population—approximately 24 million people—now in urgent need of humanitarian assistance. UN Relief Chief reports indicate that famine is now confirmed in parts of Darfur and the Kordofans, exacerbated by global instability that has driven up the costs of essential imports like food and fuel.
Pursuing Accountability and Continental Peace
Emergency Lawyers stressed that the principle of distinction between military and civilian targets must be upheld. The group added that “such acts amount to serious crimes that require accountability without impunity.” Secure roads and residential areas remain essential to ending the repeated targeting of innocent lives and reinforcing respect for civilian protection rules during conflict.
