At least 80 people were reported killed in a drone strike near a market in Al-Dibab, West Kordofan, on Sunday, October 18, as civilians gathered to travel home after market day.
Deadly strike hits a key corridor
A witness told AFP he helped bury 50 people, including his brother. A medical source said 47 wounded people were taken to nearby Al-Mujlad, where 30 later died. Communication blackouts and limited access make independent verification difficult.
The war erupted in April 2023 between the national army, led by Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the Rapid Support Forces, led by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti. Today, the army holds much of Sudan's north, east and centre, while the RSF controls most of Darfur and West Kordofan. The wider Kordofan region serves as a crucial link between the opposing territories.
Unclear responsibility and mounting drone use
The RSF-declared administration, known as Tasis, accused the army of carrying out the attack, but this remains an unconfirmed allegation. West Kordofan is under RSF control, but ground control does not identify who launched the drone. Public reporting has not established the operator, the intended target, or whether fighters were present.
Drones allow both sides to strike far beyond the front lines. The UN human rights office documented at least 880 civilian deaths from drone strikes between January and April 2026, mostly in Kordofan. A UN fact-finding mission also found that foreign suppliers have strengthened drone capabilities on both sides, while foreign contractors operate advanced weapons alongside RSF units.
Deepening hunger and elusive peace
The strike hit an area where civilians waited for rides back to their villages. Insecurity and drone attacks make market trips and medical access dangerous, while disrupting humanitarian operations. Across Sudan, 20 million people face acute hunger, and famine risk is rising in parts of Greater Kordofan.
At the UN Security Council on October 16, senior UN official Rosemary DiCarlo said the war is deteriorating without any sign of a breakthrough. She urged both sides to halt or strictly regulate drone use, but diplomatic efforts have not yet secured a pause or safe aid access.