Khartoum, October 11 (Darfur24)
The United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Sudan, Denise Brown, on Saturday condemned a drone strike near a displacement site in Wad al-Mahi, Blue Nile State, that reportedly killed at least 31 civilians, mostly women and children, and wounded dozens more.
In a statement, Brown said she was appalled by reports of the attack, noting that some of the injured were in critical condition.
“Condemning these senseless killings is essential, but there must also be accountability for this blatant disregard for international humanitarian law,” she said.
Brown said parts of Blue Nile State had come under repeated attacks in recent weeks, forcing thousands of civilians to flee their homes and exposing many more to death, injury and further hardship.
She added that the strike in Wad al-Mahi followed a similar attack a week earlier on a shelter for displaced people in El Obeid, North Kordofan State, which killed civilians and wounded others, including children.
The Friday attack targeted a key water source in a gold-mining area. Most of the victims were reportedly displaced people who had fled fighting in parts of Qaysan and Kurmuk governorates.
Meanwhile, local sources told Darfur24 on Friday that the attack was believed to have been carried out by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). These targeted victims were displaced people who had fled escalating fighting in Qaysan district and sought safety and access to water in the area.
Fighting has intensified in recent days along the eastern axis of Blue Nile State, with clashes in Qaysan and Kurmuk moving closer to the state capital, Damazin, and the town of Roseires.
The area lies in eastern Blue Nile State, near the Ethiopian border. Wad al-Mahi, one of the main areas affected by the fighting, is about 50 kilometres from Damazin and extends geographically towards Roseires.