Dozens of Children Killed in Drone Attack Launched by Sudanese Rebels

Latest Developments

• Children Slaughtered in Drone Attack: The World Health Organization (WHO) stated on December 8 that at least 63 children were among 114 people killed when a drone operated by the rebel Rapid Support Forces (RSF) hit a kindergarten and other civilian facilities in the town of Kalogi in Sudan’s South Kordofan state. Reports stated that emergency responders and civilians who rushed to the site of the attack were likewise targeted. “Disturbingly, paramedics and responders came under attack as they tried to move the injured from the kindergarten to the hospital,” WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated.
• RSF Takes Control of Oil Field: The RSF announced on December 8 that its forces had taken control of the Heglig oil field in South Kordofan province. The oil field was the last outpost of the Sudanese Armed Forces’ (SAF’s) 22nd Infantry Division after its main garrison in Babanusa was taken over by RSF forces on December 1. Heglig, the main processing facility for South Sudanese oil, had been spared major attacks for most of the current civil war because of its ties to Chinese economic interests in the region.
• SAF Drone Suspected in Fuel Explosion: Diesel fuel believed to be from an RSF fuel convoy exploded at a market in the Adikong area of West Darfur on December 5. The intense blaze, black smoke, and secondary explosions reportedly caused “significant damage to the Adikong market as well as civilian casualties.” The explosion is believed to be the result of an SAF drone attack on the convoy, which was transporting fuel smuggled from Libya to support the RSF’s military operations, although the SAF has not claimed responsibility for the strike.

FDD Expert Response

“Massacres in Sudan occur with wearying regularity, and it is the Janjaweed successor group, the RSF, that commits most of them. The rival Sudanese Armed Forces is little better, however, jockeying for international position by cozying up to predatory partners like Russia and Iran. Neither side cares about the suffering of ordinary Sudanese people — or indeed the South Sudanese, who are also affected by the disruption of their oil exports.” — Edmund Fitton-Brown, Senior Fellow

“The RSF has been gaining momentum since its capture of el-Fasher, the last holdout of the Sudanese military in Darfur. They have now turned their guns on the state of Kordofan, a crucial oil-rich region. If the RSF continues its advance, it will gain access to some of Southern Sudan’s largest oil fields. It will also continue committing atrocities, if not stopped.” — Samuel Ben-Ur, Research Analyst

FDD Background and Analysis

“RSF Rebels in Sudan Capture Strategic Town of Babanusa,” FDD Flash Brief

“New Satellite Evidence Shows Mass Graves Following Paramilitary Massacre in Sudanese City,” FDD Flash Brief

“Islamic State redoubles call for jihad in Sudan, urges foreign fighters to migrate,” by Caleb Weiss

“RSF seizes El Fasher, forcing Sudanese Armed Forces withdrawal,” by Mariam Wahba and Samuel Ben-Ur