Sudanese civilians are paying a dire price in the escalating conflict between the government and rebels. A drone strike in the army-held town of Kalogi, South Kordofan state, has left dozens dead after hitting a kindergarten and a hospital. According to local official Essam al-Din al-Sayed, who spoke via Starlink, three separate drone attacks occurred on Thursday, targeting innocent civilians.
Al-Sayed accused the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) of carrying out the assault, along with their ally, Abdelaziz al-Hilu's Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North faction. The fighting between the army and RSF has been ongoing since April 2023, resulting in tens of thousands of deaths and nearly 12 million displaced people.
Reports from the region are difficult to verify due to poor communication networks and continued insecurity. However, UNICEF estimates that over 10 children aged five to seven were killed in the attack. The death toll is further exacerbated by conflicting reports, with some estimating up to 79 fatalities, including 43 children.
The international community has condemned the attack as a "horrific violation of children's rights." UNICEF Representative Sheldon Yett urged an immediate halt to hostilities and access for humanitarian aid.
Analysts believe that the RSF's push into the oil-rich Kordofan region is part of a broader strategy to break the government's defenses in central Sudan. The rebels aim to retake major cities, including the capital Khartoum. In the past month alone, over 40,000 people have fled the region due to the ongoing violence.
As tensions escalate, civilians are bearing the brunt of the conflict. With poor communication and limited access, accurate information on the situation is scarce, leaving room for speculation about the true extent of the violence in Sudan.
Al-Sayed accused the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) of carrying out the assault, along with their ally, Abdelaziz al-Hilu's Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North faction. The fighting between the army and RSF has been ongoing since April 2023, resulting in tens of thousands of deaths and nearly 12 million displaced people.
Reports from the region are difficult to verify due to poor communication networks and continued insecurity. However, UNICEF estimates that over 10 children aged five to seven were killed in the attack. The death toll is further exacerbated by conflicting reports, with some estimating up to 79 fatalities, including 43 children.
The international community has condemned the attack as a "horrific violation of children's rights." UNICEF Representative Sheldon Yett urged an immediate halt to hostilities and access for humanitarian aid.
Analysts believe that the RSF's push into the oil-rich Kordofan region is part of a broader strategy to break the government's defenses in central Sudan. The rebels aim to retake major cities, including the capital Khartoum. In the past month alone, over 40,000 people have fled the region due to the ongoing violence.
As tensions escalate, civilians are bearing the brunt of the conflict. With poor communication and limited access, accurate information on the situation is scarce, leaving room for speculation about the true extent of the violence in Sudan.
. I mean, they're just trying to break free from government oppression and protect their own people. The civilians are caught in the middle, and we can't really blame them for taking sides. It's a total mess down there, with no clear winners or losers. We should be supporting the rebels' right to self-defense, not scolding them for using "drone strikes" 
. And another thing, if UNICEF is estimating 79 fatalities, that's still a drop in the bucket compared to the tens of thousands who have died already. Let's focus on finding a peaceful solution, but don't be so quick to condemn those fighting for their lives 
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This drone strike in Kalogi is a complete mess 
. I mean, a kindergarten and hospital hit? How do you even miss something like that? 
It's not like it was a hard target to find. And to think there are up to 79 fatalities, including 43 kids... 
That's just horrific. UNICEF is right to call for an immediate halt to hostilities and access for humanitarian aid. We can't have civilians paying such a high price in this conflict.
. Poor communication networks are one thing, but it's not like we're dealing with complete chaos here. We need more reliable info from credible sources before we can even start to understand what's going on. And let's be real, who benefits from all this conflict? Not the civilians, that's for sure 
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instead of just more violence. We need to find a way to resolve this in Sudan before things get even worse. The international community needs to step up and demand action from both sides. This conflict is not going away anytime soon, so let's make sure we're doing everything we can to minimize the human cost 
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The international community is all "condemning" but what can they do? It's not like they're gonna send in some troops to stop it. Analysts say the RSF is trying to break through, but honestly, who cares about their strategy when you have civilians getting killed left and right?! 
And let's not forget that UNICEF rep is saying an immediate halt to hostilities... yeah right... like that's gonna happen. It's all just a bunch of words on paper while the people are suffering in real life. 
The UN is right, though - these kids are innocent and shouldn't have to die because of some rebel infighting. We should be focusing on a peaceful resolution, not playing blame games all day... 
its so heartbreaking to think of all those innocent kids getting hit by a drone strike at a kindergarten and hospital 
its like something out of a nightmare. the thought of 79 fatalities, including 43 kids, is just devastating 
where are all these innocent people supposed to go? whats happening to our humanity when we lose sight of what matters most 
? we gotta keep pushing for peace and an end to hostilities ASAP 
the international community needs to do more to support those affected by this tragedy 
The innocent civilians are paying the ultimate price. We need to do more to support them and put an end to this senseless violence ASAP! 
. This is all so heartbreaking 
. And the international community needs to step up its condemnations - a "horrific violation of children's rights" is exactly that, and we can't just sit back and do nothing.