UN chief ‘appalled’ by Sudan drone strikes on civilians

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed shock over drone strikes on civilians in Sudan, following a strike that killed at least 102 people in a market in Darfur. In a statement, Guterres' spokesman, Stephane Dujarric, condemned the escalating drone attacks by the parties involved in the conflict and the devastating toll they take on civilians.

Dujarric noted that drones have killed hundreds of individuals across the country and are in violation of international humanitarian law. The spokesman also urged the conflicting parties to spare the civilian population and critical infrastructure, and to agree to a cessation of hostilities without delay as the first step towards ending the devastating conflict.

On Monday, an army drone strike targeted Tanqonj Market in Nyala, the capital of South Darfur and a stronghold of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The group has been at war with the army since April 2023, and the city functions as the political and military center of RSF-controlled territory in Darfur. Sudan's conflict, now in its fourth year, has already resulted in tens of thousands of deaths, the displacement of millions, and is described by the UN as one of the world's worst humanitarian crises.