A recent drone attack carried out by paramilitary forces on the Sudanese town of Kalogi has resulted in a horrific civilian death toll, with a kindergarten and a hospital among the targets. Dozens of people, including many young children, were killed in the assault, according to local officials.
Details of the Kalogi Attack
The attack occurred on Thursday and involved three separate strikes. Essam al-Din al-Sayed, the head of the Kalogi administrative unit, reported that the first drone hit a kindergarten. The second strike targeted a hospital, and a third bomb fell as people rushed to rescue children from the initial blast. Al-Sayed, communicating via a Starlink connection due to poor infrastructure, blamed the assault on the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and their ally, the Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) faction led by Abdelaziz al-Hilu.
Independent verification in the region remains challenging because of unreliable communications, restricted access, and ongoing violence. The exact number of casualties is disputed:
- The local official reported at least 80 dead, including 40 children.
- The army-aligned foreign ministry gave a slightly lower figure of 79 killed.
- The African Union stated the death toll exceeded 100.
- The UN children's agency, UNICEF, confirmed that more than 10 children aged between five and seven were killed.
"Killing children in their school is a horrific violation of children’s rights," said UNICEF Representative for Sudan Sheldon Yett, calling for an immediate end to attacks and access for humanitarian aid.
Regional Escalation and International Condemnation
This atrocity comes amid a significant eastward push by the RSF into the oil-rich Kordofan region, following their capture of El-Fasher in late October. The UN Human Rights commissioner, Volker Turk, expressed fear of "another wave of atrocities in Sudan" due to fierce fighting in Kordofan. African Union chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf condemned the Kalogi attacks "in the strongest possible terms," stating he was appalled by the repeated atrocities against civilians.
The conflict, which began in April 2023 between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary RSF, has already killed tens of thousands and displaced nearly 12 million people. Analysts suggest the RSF's current offensive aims to break the army's defensive arc around central Sudan, potentially setting the stage for attempts to retake major cities like the capital, Khartoum.
Broader Humanitarian Crisis and Aid Under Fire
The violence is severely hampering humanitarian efforts. In a separate incident on Thursday, the World Food Programme reported an attack on one of its trucks near Hamra El-Sheikh in North Darfur. The truck, part of a convoy delivering food to families displaced from El-Fasher, was destroyed and its driver seriously injured. US envoy for Africa Massad Boulos condemned this attack, urging all sides to cease hostilities and allow aid access.
Furthermore, the RSF accused the army of a drone strike on the vital Adre border crossing with Chad, a key route for aid and commerce, though the military has not commented. Local sources attributed an explosion there to a petrol canister detonating in a transport vehicle. Meanwhile, over 40,000 people have fled Kordofan in the past month alone, according to UN data.
Efforts to broker peace have repeatedly failed. Last month, US President Donald Trump indicated he would move to end the conflict after discussions with Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince, but no concrete initiative has yet materialized. The war continues to inflict immense suffering on Sudan's civilian population with no end in sight.
