(MENAFN) At least 40 people were killed in a drone strike targeting a funeral outside el-Obeid in North Kordofan, Sudan, as mourners gathered in a tent, according to officials and aid groups. The paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have been blamed for the attack, though the group has not commented. Many victims reportedly died before reaching hospitals in the strategically important city, which links the capital, Khartoum, to Darfur.

Fighting in Kordofan has intensified, with about 20,000 people fleeing to el-Obeid last week after the RSF captured Bara, 30 km north of the city. The town fell shortly after el-Fasher, the army’s last stronghold in Darfur, was seized. Reports from el-Fasher indicate mass killings, sexual violence, abductions, and widespread looting by RSF fighters. The UN has documented summary executions in Bara, while the International Criminal Court (ICC) has warned such atrocities could constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity.

The RSF leadership has promised investigations into alleged “violations” but denies claims that attacks in el-Fasher target specific ethnic groups. Meanwhile, famine is spreading in RSF-controlled areas. Food security experts confirm that residents of el-Fasher are facing severe hunger after an 18-month siege, with Kadugli in South Kordofan also in a catastrophic stage of food insecurity.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres called for an immediate halt to the violence, warning that “the horrifying crisis in Sudan… is spiralling out of control.” He urged both the army and RSF to negotiate and “bring an end to this nightmare of violence.” Sudanese authorities are reportedly considering a US-backed truce proposal, though past peace talks in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain have failed.

The North Kordofan Resistance Committee said the strike occurred Monday in al-Luweib village, 15 km east of el-Obeid. Mohamed Ismail, the region’s humanitarian aid commissioner, stated: “Drones belonging to the Rapid Support Forces militia attacked citizens who were at a funeral, resulting in the death of 40 people and the injury of dozens.”

Since the civil war began in April 2023 between the army and the RSF, over 150,000 people have died and around 12 million have been displaced, creating what the UN describes as the world’s largest humanitarian crisis.

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