Introduction
The Darfur Victims Support Organization (DVSO) follows with deeply concern the escalating drone attacks against populated areas in Sudan and the resulting heavy civilian casualties, particularly among children. In this context, the DVSO has documented an aerial attacks that took place in the city of El Obeid, North Kordofan State, on January 6, 2026. The attack resulted in the death of ten civilians, most of whom were children from a family, representing a serious violation of International Humanitarian Law (IHL) and the fundamental standards for the protection of civilians during armed conflicts.
Incident Details
According to an eyewitness from El Obeid, interviewed directly by the DVSO a drone belong to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF)—carried out an aerial attack on residential neighborhoods in the West El Obeid area (Block13) on Monday, January 6, 2026, at approximately 9:00 AM Sudan time. The witness stated that the shelling occurred within a densely populated residential zone, with no indications of military targets in the vicinity of the site.
The attack resulted in the death The victims are:
1.Ahmed Al-Nour Abdullah – 10 years old
2.ya Al-Nour Abdullah – 13 years old
3.Abdulrahim Ahmed Abdullah – 6 years old
4.Nour al-Islam Saleh Abdullah – 6 years old
5.Amna Hamad Eid – 50 years old
6.Omer Saleh Abdullah – 4 years old
7.Taleen Ahmed Abdullah – 3 years old
8.Hawa Saleh Abdullah – 50 years old
9.Abdullah Ahmed Abdullah – 7 years old
10.Maryam Abdulrahim Abdullah – 12 years old
The nature and ages of the victims indicate that the attack directly struck civilians, causing profound harm to families and the local community, and instilling a state of fear and insecurity among the residents.
Legal Framework and Human Rights Classification
This attack occurs within the context of a non-international armed conflict in Sudan, making the rules of International Humanitarian Law (IHL) applicable to all parties. IHL explicitly prohibits the targeting of civilians or civilian objects. It mandates that parties to the conflict adhere to the principle of distinction between civilians and combatants, and the principle of proportionality, which forbids attacks expected to cause excessive civilian harm relative to any potential military advantage.
The use of a drone in a crowded residential area, resulting in high civilian casualties—including children—constitutes an indiscriminate or disproportionate attack prohibited under the Geneva Conventions and Customary International Humanitarian Law. Furthermore, the killing of children in this incident represents a grave violation of obligations to protect children during armed conflict, as stipulated in the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC).
At the national level, this incident involves acts criminalized under the Sudanese Penal Code of 1991, particularly articles related to murder, culpable homicide, causing grievous bodily harm, and criminal property damage. Due to its nature and impact, the attack also amounts to a war crime under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC), necessitating individual criminal accountability for those who executed, ordered, or aided in the commission of the attack.
Recommendations
The Darfur Victims Support Organization (DVSO)
emphasizes that the targeting of residential neighborhoods in El Obeid, resulting in the death of ten civilians—mostly children from one family—represents a violation of extreme gravity and reflects a disturbing pattern of attacks against civilians. The DVSO believes that impunity for such crimes threatens civilian safety and undermines all efforts to protect populations in conflict zones.
The DVSO recommends the following:
1.Launch an independent and transparent investigation to identify and hold those responsible for the attack accountable.
2.Immediately cease the use of drones in populated areas and ensure full compliance with the rules of International Humanitarian Law.
3.Guarantee the right of the victims’ families to justice, redress, and fair compensation.
4.Call upon regional and international mechanisms, including the United Nations, to monitor this incident as part of the efforts to protect civilians in Sudan.
5.Support professional documentation efforts and the preservation of evidence to serve future advocacy and accountability processes.
