Sudan drone strikes reportedly kill 8 civilians in North Kordofan
Two drone strikes reportedly killed eight civilians and wounded dozens in Sowdari, North Kordofan, on Thursday, August 27, Emergency Lawyers said Friday. The report adds to growing concern about the danger drones pose to civilians and rescuers in Sudan’s war.
Emergency Lawyers, an independent Sudanese group that documents alleged atrocities, said a drone struck civilians traveling through the desert town of Sowdari in North Korodofan state. As people rushed to help or evacuate the wounded, a second drone struck, the group said.
The casualty figures have not been independently verified. Responsibility for the strikes also remained unconfirmed. Neither the Sudanese Armed Forces nor the Rapid Support Forces had immediately commented on the report, according to The Associated Press.
Rights group calls for an investigation
Emergency Lawyers called for an independent investigation to establish who carried out the strikes and what happened. The group said that attacking civilians and then striking again during a rescue attempt would violate international humanitarian law and amounted to a war crime.
That characterization is an allegation by the rights group, not a finding by an independent inquiry. The immediate questions are whether the reported death toll is confirmed, what happened during the second strike and whether evidence can be preserved for any future accountability process.
Why North Kordofan matters
North Kordofan has become an important area in Sudan’s conflict because fighting and insecurity around its roads and towns affect movement between central Sudan and the country’s western conflict zones. The area also includes El Obeid, a major population center and humanitarian base.
In a June 18 statement, the United Nations said drone attacks around El Obeid had affected civilians and civilian infrastructure. It said a humanitarian worker was among civilians killed in residential neighborhoods during the previous week and described El Obeid as a crucial hub for humanitarian response efforts across the wider Kordofan region.
The U.N. urged the warring parties to protect civilians, civilian infrastructure, humanitarian workers and relief supplies. Attacks or insecurity around roads and towns can make it harder for people to reach food, medical care and safer areas, while also complicating the movement of aid.
Drone warfare is worsening the civilian threat
The Sowdari report comes amid a sharp increase in drone use in Sudan. The U.N. high commissioner for human rights said his office documented more than 1,000 civilians killed by drone strikes between January and May 2026, according to AP reporting.
Both sides in Sudan’s war have used drones, so the broader U.N. figure does not establish responsibility for the Sowdari strikes. It also is not a direct count of deaths from the current incident.
Sudan’s war began on April 15, 2023, when fighting broke out between the military and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces. Drone attacks have since become a major part of the conflict, increasing risks for people traveling through contested areas and for those who try to rescue the wounded.
What to watch next
Further reporting should clarify the final casualty toll, document damage to civilian property, record responses from the Sudanese Armed Forces and RSF, and determine whether an independent investigation begins. Humanitarian organizations will also be watching whether security conditions affect relief operations in El Obeid and elsewhere in Kordofan.
Sources
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