Drone strike hits tribal leader’s base in Sudan’s Kordofan, killing one

October 12, 2025 (EL NUHUD) – A drone strike on Sunday hit the headquarters of a prominent tribal leader in Sudan’s West Kordofan state, killing one woman and injuring several other people amid conflicting claims of responsibility from the warring factions.

Local sources told Sudan Tribune that an explosive drone detonated inside the historic headquarters of Prince Abdel Qader Monem Mansour, the Paramount Chief of the Hamar tribes, in the city of El Nuhud.

The city, the economic capital of the state, has been under the control of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) since May.

The Dar Hamar Emergency Room, a local aid group, accused the RSF of carrying out the attack. In a statement, the group claimed the RSF was pressuring the ailing chief to relocate to Nyala, the capital of South Darfur, which the paramilitary group has declared its administrative centre.

However, a spokesperson for the RSF-affiliated civil administration in West Kordofan, Hamdeen Abdel Hadi, blamed the Sudanese army for the strike. He accused the army of attempting to “ignite sedition and settle political scores by targeting symbols of the native administration.”

Abdel Hadi called the incident a “terrorist act” aimed at undermining community leaders who have called for an end to the war.

Prince Abdel Qader, one of Sudan’s most influential traditional leaders, has reportedly refused to leave El Nuhud despite his deteriorating health and the RSF’s control of the city. He was recently seen looking frail while receiving visitors at his headquarters.