Drone strike on a funeral procession devastates El-Obeid
A drone attack on a funeral procession at a cemetery in Sudan’s city of El‑Obeid has killed at least four people and wounded several others, rights groups Sudan Doctors Network and Emergency Lawyers say. The paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) are blamed for the strike, which is part of a series of nightly drone attacks that started on Wednesday evening and have killed 23 people in total so far. The RSF has not issued a statement on the attack.
El‑Obeid, currently controlled by the army, lies at the heart of Sudan’s three‑year civil war that erupted after a split between army leaders and the RSF over the country’s future direction. The city sits in the oil‑rich Kordofan region, giving it strategic importance as control over the area equates to control over the nation’s oil supply.
The conflict has generated the world’s worst humanitarian crisis. More than 11 million people have been displaced, and 28 million face acute hunger. While precise death figures are uncertain, estimates suggest the toll may exceed 50 000.
Emergency Lawyers reported that drones also struck homes in a residential neighbourhood, the airport district and near an army base, killing 13 civilians and 5 in earlier attacks. A driver transporting food supplies was also killed when his lorry was struck on Thursday. Residents described how roofs collapsed on occupants, with no one finding a way to survive.
Analysts note that systematic and repeated attacks on civilians in El‑Obeid over several days highlight the ongoing brutality of the war and the urgent need for a negotiated resolution.
