WASHINGTON, DC — THE United Nations has condemned a reported drone strike on a market in Sudan that is said to have killed as many as 150 civilians, warning of a troubling pattern of attacks on civilian areas and critical infrastructure amid the country’s prolonged conflict.
Speaking at a press briefing at UN Headquarters today (Oct. 20), UN Secretary-General’s Spokesman Stéphane Dujarric said the organisation “strongly condemn the reported killing of dozens of civilians in another drone strike on a market in the locality of Al Dibab, West Kordofan State, on Sunday.”
Dujarric described the latest incident as part of a deeply concerning pattern of drone attacks across Sudan, which have continued to take a heavy toll on civilians and damage essential infrastructure.
“We remain alarmed by the relentless drone attacks across Sudan, as well as the damage they are causing to critical infrastructure,” he said. “These attacks are taking a devastating toll on communities already struggling with the consequences of more than three years of conflict.”
Reports from other parts of the country point to further civilian casualties. In Khartoum, three children, aged between two and six, and their father were reportedly killed when a drone struck a residential area on Monday (oct. 19).
In South Darfur State, a separate drone strike reportedly hit a residential house in the state capital, Nyala, on Monday, causing civilian casualties, including women and children, and damaging neighbouring homes.
Dujarric also reported that drones struck the main power station in the town of Tendalti, in White Nile State, on Tuesday, (Oct. 20) damaging the facility.
The UN reiterated its call for all parties to the conflict to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure in accordance with international humanitarian law.
“We reiterate, again, yet again, that vivilians and civilian infrastructure must be protected in accordance with international humanitarian law and must never be targeted,” Dujarric said, stressing that all parties must take constant care to safeguard civilians and the essential services on which they depend.
Alongside its concerns over the worsening security situation, the United Nations said it was continuing to work with international partners to advance peace efforts and coordinate a response aimed at ending the conflict.
Dujarric said the Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy for Sudan, Pekka Haavisto, was in Geneva for the Sixth Consultative Group Meeting on Sudan, which is scheduled to begin on Wednesday. Haavisto will co-host the meeting with Swiss State Secretary Alexandre Fasel.
A preparatory briefing involving participating delegations, UN officials, representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the Sudan International NGO Forum was held on Tuesday.
The session aimed to establish a shared understanding of recent developments in Sudan and help guide discussions at the consultative meeting.
The diplomatic engagement comes as the UN continues to call for an end to the violence and greater protection for civilians caught in the conflict.
