Sudan civil war: When drones strike the classroom

What Happened

In el-Obeid, the capital of North Kordofan, the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have conducted drone strikes that have destroyed civilian infrastructure including schools, hospitals, power grids, and water treatment plants. Ahmed Awad, a project manager for Plan International in the city, reported that a drone hit a primary school, killing three children and causing severe psychological trauma among survivors. El-Obeid, controlled by the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) with approximately 13,000 soldiers, has been under siege, leading to acute shortages of food, medical supplies, and clean water, with residents spending entire days to obtain a liter of water. The RSF has deployed troops about 30 kilometers beyond city limits. The SAF recently launched an offensive from Khartoum, retaking the 360-kilometer highway linking Omdurman to el-Obeid, reopening supply routes and prompting celebrations among residents. During their retreat, RSF fighters looted markets and villages and committed human rights violations, according to the Sudan Tribune. RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo ('Hemeti') instructed local commanders on July 21, 2026, to launch counteroffensives at their own discretion, raising fears of further attacks on civilians.

Key Actors

Why It Matters

El-Obeid is the strategic crossroads on the only major route between SAF-controlled Khartoum and RSF-controlled Darfur. Its fall would sever SAF supply lines and potentially replicate the October 2025 capture of el-Fasher, which involved systematic infrastructure bombing, an 18-month siege, and mass atrocities that a UN fact-finding mission described as bearing 'hallmarks of genocide.' Drone attacks on schools and displacement camps are inflicting severe trauma on children, raising concerns of long-term radicalization and cycles of revenge violence, according to Save the Children.

Watch For

Monitor whether RSF commanders act on Hemeti's discretionary counteroffensive order, potentially escalating attacks on civilians and infrastructure around el-Obeid. Watch for SAF consolidation of the Omdurman–el-Obeid highway and any push to fully relieve the siege. Track humanitarian access and IPC food security classifications, as well as reports of atrocities similar to those documented in el-Fasher. The UN envoy's June 2025 warning of further escalation risk remains acute.