On Wednesday, a drone packed with explosives, attributed to Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, hit a secondary school and a medical centre, killing at least 17 individuals, the majority of whom were schoolgirls.
Dr. Musa al‑Majeri, head of Douiem Hospital—the closest large clinic to the area—reported that the attack in Shukeiri, a village in White Nile province, left no fewer than ten people injured. He added that three girls sustained severe wounds; two received operations at the hospital and the third was transferred to Khartoum, the capital.
The Sudan Doctors Network, which monitors the conflict, was the first to announce the strike, noting that among the dead were two teachers and a health‑care employee. The organization also stated that no armed forces were stationed in the village.
Both the doctors’ association and al‑Majeri held the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) responsible for the attack. The RSF did not answer a request for a statement.
Dr. Razan Al‑Mahdi, the medical group’s spokesperson, said, “This atrocious act continues the pattern of RSF violations in the White Nile,” and noted that the paramilitaries had struck multiple civilian sites in the previous 48 hours, such as a student residence and an electricity plant.
The Shukeiri bombing marks the most recent lethal assault in Sudan’s war that has now lasted close to three years. In April 2023, Sudan descended into disorder as a rivalry between the army and the RSF erupted into overt combat across Khartoum and other regions.
UN statistics indicate that the brutal conflict has claimed over 40,000 lives, though humanitarian organisations argue the actual toll may be far greater. Hostilities have concentrated in the Kordofan area, where lethal strikes—predominantly drone‑borne—are reported each day.
The conflict is characterized by atrocities such as mass murders, collective rapes and other offenses, which the International Criminal Court is examining as possible war crimes and crimes against humanity.
The latest wave of brutality occurred in October when the RSF, together with its Janjaweed partners, seized the Darfur town of el‑Fasher. UN‑appointed experts said the RSF assault displayed “signs of genocide”.
The UN human‑rights office reported that the October fighting in el‑Fasher resulted in at least 6,000 deaths over three days.
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