RSF Drone Strikes Kill Dozens in Sudan's Blue Nile State

The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) carried out a series of drone strikes across Sudan's Blue Nile state between October 7 and October 9, targeting civilian infrastructure and displaced populations. On Wednesday, strikes in the El Hijra neighborhood of Ed Damazin killed four women and damaged a mosque and a technical college. Four missiles also struck the home of Finance Minister Molana Abbas Kara, who described the attack as a failed assassination attempt.

By Friday, the violence escalated in the Wad al-Mahi province. A drone strike targeted an area near an informal gold mining site and a displacement camp, killing 30 people, including 26 women and four children. Governor Mahjoub Al-Sheikh characterized the attack as "cowardly" and alleged the drone was launched from within Ethiopia. The Ethiopian government has denied accusations that it harbors RSF fighters or bases.

These attacks occur as the RSF pushes toward the city of Damazin, potentially forcing the Sudanese army to split its defenses between the Blue Nile and Kordofan regions. In a separate incident in South Kordofan state, an airstrike hit two World Food Programme trucks, killing a driver. The broader conflict between the RSF and the Sudanese military has now displaced over 12 million people.