A paramilitary drone attack on Thursday devastated the army-held town of Kalogi in Sudan’s South Kordofan state, killing at least 79 civilians, including 43 children, in one of the deadliest single strikes of the country’s brutal civil war.
The assault, attributed to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and their allies, the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) faction led by Abdelaziz al-Hilu, targeted a kindergarten, a hospital, and rescuers, exposing the escalating savagery of Sudan’s conflict.
Essam al-Din al-Sayed, Kalogi’s administrative chief, described three deliberate strikes to AFP via Starlink: the first obliterated a kindergarten, the second hit a hospital, and the third targeted civilians and medics rushing to save trapped children.
The Sudan Doctors Network reported “suicide drones” reduced classrooms to rubble, with some estimates suggesting a death toll as high as 116, including 46 children.
UNICEF condemned the attack as a “horrific violation of children’s rights,” noting over 10 victims were aged five to seven. “Children should never pay the price of conflict,” said Sudan representative Sheldon Yett, demanding an immediate halt to hostilities and unhindered humanitarian access.
The RSF’s offensive follows their capture of El-Fasher in late October, a strategic pivot eastward into the oil-rich Kordofan states. Analysts see this as a bid to fracture the army’s central Sudan defences, eyeing cities like Khartoum. Over 40,000 have fled Kordofan in the past month, with famine and displacement worsening.
Since April 2023, the RSF-army war has killed tens of thousands and displaced nearly 12 million, with both sides accused of atrocities. Verification remains elusive amid communication blackouts and restricted access.
The African Union and UN have called for ceasefires, but Thursday’s massacre, denounced as “genocide” by Sudan’s foreign ministry, underscores the dim prospects for peace.
