Widespread anger is growing in Sudan after a retired officer linked to the former regime of Omar al-Bashir mocked children killed in a deadly drone strike on a hospital in East Darfur, an attack widely blamed on General al-Burhan’s army (SAF).
At least 64 people were killed and 89 others injured when a SAF drone strike hit Al-Daein Teaching Hospital in East Darfur, destroying key departments and forcing the facility out of service, according to medical sources and local reports.
Health officials said the victims included 13 children and three medical staff. The strike devastated the paediatric, maternity, and emergency wards, leaving one of the region’s largest hospitals completely non-operational.
Local monitoring groups and rights advocates have attributed the strike to SAF, which has repeatedly used drone attacks in Darfur as part of its campaign against areas outside its control.
The attack triggered widespread outrage, further intensified after retired Major General Osama Mohamed Ahmed Abdel Salam posted a comment appearing to mock the victims. Responding to an image of a dead child, he wrote: “Focus, people, we’ve heard enough crying,” prompting a wave of condemnation across Sudanese social media.
Abdel Salam is a retired officer associated with Sudan’s Islamist movement and has longstanding ties to networks aligned with the former regime. He served in military intelligence, the presidential guard, and senior positions within the military academy system after graduating in 1987.
Reports have previously linked him to financial irregularities during his time as a military attaché in Uganda between 2011 and 2015. He is also believed to maintain connections with Islamist circles within Sudan’s security establishment and is reportedly working as a security adviser in Qatar.
The TASIS (Sudanese Civilian Alliance) strongly condemned the hospital strike, describing it as a “war crime” and accusing General al-Burhan’s army of deliberately targeting civilian infrastructure in Darfur.
TASIS said the attack reflects a broader pattern of violations, including drone strikes on markets, displacement sites, and medical facilities, and called for urgent international action to protect civilians and hold those responsible accountable.
No official response has been issued by General al-Burhan’s army (SAF) regarding either the strike or the officer’s remarks, as public anger continues to mount over the killing of civilians and the collapse of essential health services in East Darfur.
