Sudan drone attack kills nine civilians, medic says

A medical source told AFP that a Rapid Support Forces drone strike killed nine civilians and injured 14 others in Al-Jamama village in Sudan's North Kordofan state on Wednesday.

The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals, said the attack hit as the RSF tries to encircle El-Obeid, a strategic city in North Kordofan.

Emergency Lawyers, a group that documents abuses in Sudan's war, said on Tuesday that RSF fighters had committed violations against civilians in the Al-Jamama area, including assaults on civilians and homes, and looting and vandalism at the local market.

The reported strike came two days after RSF leader Mohamed Hamdan Daglo told his fighters: "From today, I no longer hold the reins, I have released the reins to you."

Sudan's war began in April 2023 between Daglo's RSF and the army, led by Abdel Fattah al-Burhan. Aid workers estimate that more than 200,000 people have been killed, and the conflict has caused what is described as the world's largest hunger and displacement crisis.

The RSF took control of Darfur last year and has since pushed into neighbouring Kordofan. Both the RSF and the army have been accused of atrocities during the conflict.