Drone Strike on Sudanese Prison Kills At Least 20 Amid Ongoing Civil War
At least 20 inmates were killed and 50 others injured on Saturday in a suspected drone strike on the main prison in El-Obeid, the capital of North Kordofan state, in the latest deadly escalation of Sudan’s civil war, now entering its second year.
Authorities from Sudan’s military-aligned government blamed the attack on the rebel movements the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which has been intensifying drone operations against military-held areas across the country.
“This was a deliberate targeting of civilian detainees,” said Information Minister Khalid Aleiser in a public statement. “The RSF continues to show complete disregard for human life as it intensifies drone attacks across military-controlled regions.”
El-Obeid lies approximately 363 kilometers (225 miles) south of the capital, Khartoum. The RSF has not issued a statement regarding the strike, but the group, led by Gen. Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo—widely known as Hemedti—has significantly ramped up its aerial capabilities in recent weeks.
Earlier this month, the RSF launched a multi-day drone assault on Port Sudan, the strategic Red Sea city that now serves as the interim seat of the Sudanese government. The attacks targeted key infrastructure, including airports, maritime facilities, and fuel depots, raising concerns about the RSF’s growing access to foreign-supplied drones.
Civilian Casualties Rise in Darfur
Just one day before the prison strike, RSF artillery fire hit a camp for displaced people near el-Fasher, the capital of North Darfur. At least 14 civilians were killed, including an entire family of 11—two parents, their eight children, and their grandmother—according to the Emergency Room, a grassroots activist group monitoring the war.
“These are not accidents,” a representative from the group said. “These are targeted attacks on civilians. The people in el-Fasher have been under daily assault for over a year.”
The RSF has long sought control of el-Fasher, launching near-daily bombardments in and around the city. Last month, the militia stormed Zamzam, Sudan’s largest displacement camp, reportedly killing over 400 people and displacing thousands more.
“This war is ripping our nation apart,” said a displaced mother of three now sheltering in a makeshift tent along the Chad border. “We just want to survive. We want peace.”
A Nation in Crisis
Sudan plunged into civil war on April 15, 2023, after long-simmering tensions between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), led by Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the RSF erupted into open conflict. What began as a power struggle in Khartoum has since devolved into a nationwide catastrophe, especially in the volatile Darfur region.
The Sudanese military has also retaliated with airstrikes. Just last week, government forces bombed Nyala airport in South Darfur—a key RSF supply route—reportedly killing dozens of RSF fighters and destroying shipments of military aid, including drones.
The war has left at least 24,000 people dead, though humanitarian organizations believe the real toll is significantly higher. Over 13 million people have been displaced, including around 4 million who have crossed into neighboring countries. Several regions are now on the verge of famine.
International human rights groups and the United Nations have accused both sides—particularly the RSF—of committing atrocities that may amount to war crimes, including ethnic killings, mass rape, and deliberate attacks on civilian infrastructure.
The scale of suffering in Sudan is almost unimaginable. Civilians are not just caught in the crossfire—they are being deliberately targeted.
A U.N. official involved in war crimes monitoring, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
A Bleak Outlook
Despite urgent calls from the international community, peace talks have repeatedly failed. Both factions continue to trade deadly airstrikes and artillery fire, deepening what has become one of the world’s worst humanitarian disasters.
Aid organizations warn that without immediate intervention, the crisis will only worsen. Access to food, medicine, and shelter remains critically limited, especially in regions under constant attack.
“We are witnessing a total collapse of civilian protection in Sudan,” said a spokesperson for Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders). “And the world cannot look away.”