UN chief ‘appalled’ by Sudan drone strikes on civilians

UN chief Antonio Guterres is “appalled” by the impact of drone attacks on civilians in Sudan, his spokesman said Saturday, after a strike on a market in Darfur killed at least 102 people.

“The secretary-general strongly condemns the escalating drone attacks in Sudan by the parties to the conflict and the catastrophic toll these attacks are inflicting on civilians,” spokesman Stephane Dujarric said.

He noted that drones have killed hundreds of people across the country and constitute violations of international humanitarian law.

“The secretary-general calls on the parties to spare the civilian population and critical infrastructure and agree without delay to a cessation of hostilities as a first step towards ending this devastating conflict,” Dujarric said.

Monday’s drone strike by the army hit Tanqonj Market in Nyala, the capital of South Darfur and a stronghold of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which has been at war with the army since April 2023.

The city serves as the political and military center of RSF-controlled territory in Darfur, where the paramilitary group has established an administration rivalling the army-backed, internationally-recognized government in Khartoum.

Now in its fourth year, Sudan’s conflict has already killed tens of thousands of people, displaced millions and triggered what the UN describes as one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.