Sudan market drone strike kills 28 in West Kordofan

On Tuesday, a drone strike hit the crowded market in Ghubaysh, West Kordofan, Sudan, killing at least 28 people and wounding dozens more. Local rights group Emergency Lawyers blamed the Sudanese army, while the army denied targeting civilians, saying the drone first struck two Rapid Support Forces (RSF) combat vehicles before hitting a nearby restaurant. Witnesses reported the market was packed with civilians at the time of the attack.

The strike is part of a pattern of increasing drone use by both the army and RSF, which the United Nations says has caused at least 880 civilian deaths between January and April 2024. The conflict between the army and the RSF, which erupted in April 2023, has already killed tens of thousands, displaced more than 13 million people and pushed large parts of the country toward famine. Markets such as the one in Ghubaysh are vital for food and essential supplies for hundreds of thousands of residents, making attacks on them a severe humanitarian concern.