The Sudanese Umma Party has called on the SAF to immediately stop aerial attacks on civilian areas, condemning the targeting of villages and homes and urging strict adherence to international humanitarian law to protect civilians. The party’s statement comes after a drone strike on Kumo in South Kordofan, which killed civilians, including children.
According to the party, airstrikes since the outbreak of the conflict have posed one of the gravest threats to ordinary Sudanese, resulting in thousands of deaths and widespread destruction of essential infrastructure. The Umma Party emphasised that continuing attacks on populated areas only deepens the humanitarian crisis and compounds the suffering of civilians already enduring harsh conditions.
The party criticised SAF for treating civilian lives as expendable, highlighting that protecting non-combatants must be the highest priority in any military operation. It stressed that halting airstrikes is crucial to reducing casualties and safeguarding infrastructure vital to daily life.
In a stark illustration of the humanitarian toll, the Rapid Support Forces reported that a SAF drone strike on Kumo killed 45 people, most of them children. Local sources and eyewitnesses confirmed that the attack also left dozens wounded. RSF condemned the strike as a blatant violation of international law and described it as a war crime requiring accountability. The drone targeted civilian gatherings and schools, representing a direct attack on human rights and ethical norms, amid ongoing clashes between SAF and opposing forces.
The Sudan People’s Liberation Movement – North also denounced the attack as a massacre, vowing to respond to SAF’s systematic violations against civilians. Kumo’s strike is part of a broader pattern of attacks on local communities across conflict zones, illustrating the persistent targeting of non-combatants by SAF.
The war, now over 18 months old, has devastated Sudanese communities and triggered the world’s largest internal displacement crisis, with the UN estimating more than 14 million people forced to flee their homes. At the Tawil refugee camp, the Norwegian Refugee Council reported over 400 unaccompanied children arriving in a single month, showing severe psychological trauma and aggressive behaviour caused by exposure to violence.
Humanitarian workers describe Tawil as a fragile refuge providing minimal safety amid extreme insecurity. They warn that the crisis is exacerbated by internet blackouts and restricted aid access, which hinder efforts to fully document the scale of abuses. Despite these obstacles, aid organisations continue relief operations to alleviate the war’s impact on civilians.
Humanitarian reports indicate the situation in Sudan is worsening, with SAF airstrikes increasingly targeting civilians while international organisations struggle to deliver aid and monitor violations. The Kumo attack underscores the extreme deterioration of security and civilian protection in Sudan, highlighting SAF’s role in perpetuating the conflict and deepening the human toll.
