In a sudden and deadly turn of events, a drone attack on a funeral procession in the Sudanese city of El‑Obeid has claimed the lives of at least four people and injured others. The strike, reported by Sudan Doctors Network and Emergency Lawyers, reportedly came from the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), adding to an escalating series of aerial assaults that have already resulted in at least 23 deaths since Wednesday evening.
The RSF has not yet commented on the attack. El‑Obeid, currently under army control, lies at the heart of a brutal three‑year civil war that began when army leaders and RSF commanders split over the country's direction. The fighting has spurred the worst humanitarian crisis globally, with more than 11 million people displaced and 28 million facing acute hunger.
The city sits in Kordofan, an oil‑rich region divided into North, South and West Kordofan. Control of El‑Obeid effectively governs much of the country’s oil supply and strategic advantage, intensifying the front‑line importance of the town. Analysts note that anyone controlling the area wields power over a large portion of Sudan’s resources.
Emergency Lawyers reported additional drone strikes hitting homes in a residential neighbourhood, the airport district and locations around an army base, killing thirteen civilians and three earlier victims. Lorry drivers transporting food supplies were also killed when their vehicles were hit.
One resident, speaking to AFP after the attacks, described seeing collapsed houses and feeling that no one could survive in some locations: “It is tragic… When you look at some houses, you feel no one could have survived.”
The recurring attacks on civilians for several days highlight a systematic strategy aimed at undermining the civilian populace in El‑Obeid.
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