Sudanese army drone strike kills civilians in Blue Nile, rights group says
July 23, 2026 (ED DAMAZIN) – A Sudanese army drone strike killed several people on Thursday after targeting a gathering of displaced people in the Blue Nile region, a rights group said.
The region in southeastern Sudan has seen months of clashes between the Sudanese army and an alliance of the Rapid Support Forces and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North led by Abdel Aziz al-Hilu.
The fighting has triggered widespread waves of displacement toward the city of Ed Damazin.
Emergency Lawyers, a legal rights group, said an army drone bombed displaced civilians early Thursday in the southern Badia area of Blue Nile state.
Preliminary information indicates dozens of people were killed or injured, mostly women and children, the group said in a statement.
The attack occurred days after a visit by Saleh Issa, a member of the Presidential Council and governor of the Central Region in the “Tasiss” coalition, to sites housing people who fled to Blue Nile from Sinnar state.
The rights group said the victims were fleeing clashes between the army and the RSF that have displaced thousands of civilians, depriving them of shelter, grazing land, and livelihoods amid a severe lack of humanitarian relief.
Emergency Lawyers condemned the strike, stating that targeting civilians protected under international law constitutes a grave violation and may amount to a war crime if proven to be intentional or indiscriminate.
The group added that the incident reflects an escalation of violations against civilians in Sudan and urged an immediate halt to attacks on populated areas.
It called for an independent investigation, accountability for those responsible, and safe humanitarian corridors to deliver urgent aid to displaced families.
In October 2024, thousands of civilians fled areas near Dinder, Abu Hujar, Al-Dali, and Al-Mazmum toward the border with South Sudan after the army launched an offensive to retake those localities from the RSF.