RSF drone strike kills 26 women and four children in Sudan's Blue Nile state
RSF drone strike kills 26 women and four children in Sudan’s Blue Nile state
A Sudan RSF drone strike killed 26 women and four children on Friday, an official and eyewitnesses told AFP.
The attack occurred in the Wad al-Mahi governorate of Blue Nile state, near Sudan’s southeastern border with Ethiopia, according to Wad al-Mahi governor Mahgoub al-Sheikh.
The latest frontline in Sudan’s war between the regular army and the RSF is the border region with Ethiopia, where an internal conflict is threatening to escalate into a regional war.
Victims buried near displacement camp
“We buried 26 women and four children,” said an eyewitness in a displacement camp in Abu Shendi.
Just outside the camp is an informal gold mine, where women earn a daily wage using chemicals and their bare hands to clear gold nuggets from clumps of earth the men have extracted. The victims included “young girls who work with their families in refining the gold”, another eyewitness said.
The strike underscores how Sudan’s war has pushed civilians, especially women and children, into dangerous informal labour as formal livelihoods collapse. Gold mining in the region has drawn desperate families despite the risks of working in an active conflict zone.
Sudan RSF drone strike and the world’s worst humanitarian crisis
Since the war broke out in April 2023, it has killed more than 200,000 people, aid workers estimate, and created the world’s largest hunger and displacement crises.
The conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the RSF has displaced millions and left vast areas facing famine-like conditions. The shift of fighting towards the Ethiopian border raises fears that the war could draw in neighbouring countries and destabilise the wider Horn of Africa.
International efforts to broker a lasting ceasefire have repeatedly failed, and humanitarian agencies say access to affected areas remains severely restricted.
Frequently asked questions
What happened in Sudan’s Blue Nile state?
A drone strike by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces killed 26 women and four children on Friday in the Wad al-Mahi governorate of Blue Nile state, near the Ethiopian border, according to the local governor and eyewitnesses.
Who were the victims?
The victims were women and children, including young girls who worked with their families refining gold at an informal mine near the Abu Shendi displacement camp.
Why is the Ethiopia border region significant?
It has become the latest frontline in Sudan’s war between the army and the RSF. Officials and analysts warn the fighting there could escalate into a regional conflict involving neighbouring countries.
How severe is Sudan’s war?
Since April 2023, aid workers estimate the war has killed more than 200,000 people and created the world’s largest hunger and displacement crises.
