United Nations condemns drone strikes on civilians and infrastructure in Sudan

The United Nations has strongly condemned relentless drone attacks on civilians and critical infrastructure across Sudan.

South Sudanese officials says more than 150 people were killed in a strike on Tuesday by Khartoum’s military that hit a market in the disputed Abyei border region.

A local official said it hit a nearby fuel depot, igniting a fire that was still burning Tuesday, with the death toll expected to rise.

The motive for the attack was not immediately clear, and journalists could not independently verify who carried it out.

It is the latest in a series of strikes as Sudan’s civil war spills across the border between the two countries.

"We also strongly condemn the reported killing of dozens of civilians in a drone strike on a market in the locality of Al Dibab, West Kordofan State, on Sunday," said Stephane Dujarric, the spokesperson for the UN secretary-general.

“The attack is part of a deeply concerning pattern. We remain alarmed by the relentless drone attacks across Sudan, as well as the damage they are causing to critical infrastructure,'' he said.

Dujarric said the strikes were taking a devastating toll on communities that are already struggling with the consequences of more than three years of conflict..

According to the spokesperson, three children aged two to six and their father were reportedly killed when a drone struck a residential area in Khartoum.

Another strike hit a home in Nyala, South Darfur, killing and injuring civilians, including women and children.

Drones have also reportedly struck the main power station in Tendalti in White Nile State.

“Civilians and civilian infrastructure must be protected in accordance with international humanitarian law and must never be targeted,” Dujarric said.

Sudan’s military and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces have been fighting since April 2023, devastating large parts of the country and threatening stability along its borders.