Strikes on Sudan school, hospital kill dozens

A RECENT paramilitary drone attack on the army-held town of Kalogi in Sudan's South Kordofan state hit a kindergarten and a hospital, killing dozens of civilians including children, a local official said yesterday.

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RSF fighters holding weapons in the streets of El-Fasher in Sudan's Darfur.

(AFP)

The attack, which took place on Thursday, involved three strikes, “first a kindergarten, then a hospital and a third time as people tried to rescue the children’, Essam al-Din al-Sayed, head of the Kalogi administrative unit, said using a Starlink satellite internet connection.

He blamed the assault on the Rapid Support Forces and their ally, the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North faction (SPLM-N) led by Abdelaziz al-Hilu, which controls much of South Kordofan and parts of Blue Nile state.

Since April 2023, the army and the paramilitary RSF have been locked in a conflict that has killed tens of thousands and displaced nearly 12 million.

Independent verification in Kordofan remains difficult due to spotty communications, restricted access and ongoing insecurity.

The UN children’s agency said the attack killed more than 10 children aged between five and seven, while the army-aligned foreign ministry put the overall death toll at 79, including 43 children.