A drone strike in Kalogi, located in Sudan’s South Kordofan region, reportedly hit a kindergarten, resulting in the deaths of at least 50 individuals, including 33 children.
The Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group engaged in conflict with the Sudanese army, were accused of carrying out this Thursday attack by both a medical organization, the Sudan Doctors’ Network, and the military.
The RSF did not immediately provide a statement.
Conversely, the RSF subsequently accused the army of conducting a drone attack on Friday, which allegedly struck a market in the Darfur region and a fuel depot at the Adre border crossing with Chad.
Sudan has been embroiled in a civil war since April 2023, following a power struggle that erupted between the RSF and the army, who were formerly allies.
These reports could not be independently verified.
According to the foreign ministry, which is aligned with the army, the kindergarten was struck on two occasions by missiles launched from drones. It further added that civilians and medical personnel who responded to the scene were also targeted.
Responding to news of the Kalogi attack, a spokesperson for UNICEF, the UN children’s agency, stated: “Killing children in their school is a horrific violation of children’s rights,” adding that “Children should never pay the price of conflict.” The agency, he indicated, urged “all parties to stop these attacks immediately and allow safe, unimpeded access for humanitarian assistance to reach those in urgent need.”
The RSF claimed the army attacked the Adre crossing because it is utilized for the “delivery of aid and commercial supplies.” According to the Sudan War Monitor, a group of researchers monitoring the conflict, the attack caused civilian casualties and substantial destruction to a market.
The military offered no immediate comment regarding the reports from Darfur.
The Kordofan region—comprising North, South, and West Kordofan, and home to nearly eight million people—is situated between Sudan’s capital, Khartoum, and Darfur, serving as a critical battleground in the civil war. The fighting in the Kordofans has escalated as the army advances toward Darfur.
