Drone Strike Kills At Least 17 in Southern Sudan, Mostly Schoolgirls
CAIRO – A drone strike blamed on Sudanese paramilitaries struck a secondary school and a health care center in southern Sudan on Wednesday, killing at least 17 people, the majority of whom were schoolgirls, according to a hospital official and a medical group. At least 10 others were wounded in the attack, which took place in the village of Shukeiri in the White Nile province.
Dr. Musa al-Majeri, director of the Douiem Hospital, the nearest major medical facility, reported that three girls sustained serious injuries, with two undergoing surgery at the hospital and the third evacuated to the capital, Khartoum.
The Sudan Doctors Network first reported the strike, stating that two teachers and a health care worker were also among those killed. The group emphasized there was no military presence in the village at the time of the attack.
Both Dr. al-Majeri and the medical group attributed the strike to the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The RSF has not yet responded to requests for comment.
“This horrific crime represents a continuation of the violations committed by the RSF in the White Nile,” said Dr. Razan Al-Mahdi, a spokeswoman for the medical group. She added that the paramilitaries have attacked several civilian facilities in the past two days, including a student dormitory and a power station.
This latest attack underscores the escalating violence in Sudan’s nearly three-year-long conflict, which began in April 2023 when a power struggle between the military and the RSF erupted into open fighting in Khartoum and across the country.
The war has already claimed the lives of more than 40,000 people, according to United Nations figures, though aid groups believe the actual death toll is significantly higher. The fighting has been particularly intense in the Kordofan region, with daily reports of deadly drone strikes.
The conflict has been marred by widespread atrocities, including mass killings, sexual violence, and other crimes that are currently under investigation by the International Criminal Court as potential war crimes and crimes against humanity. Recent atrocities in Darfur, particularly the RSF’s takeover of el-Fasher in October, have been described by UN-commissioned experts as bearing “hallmarks of genocide,” with at least 6,000 people killed in just three days during that period.