RSF defector in an armed vehicle

A drone strike by Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces killed 41 civilians in the Blue Nile region close to the Ethiopian border, a rights group said.

Emergency Lawyers reported the RAFS targeted a camp for displaced persons in Abu Shandi area on Friday.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said it was appalled by reports and that most casualties were women and children.

Since 2023 the Sudanese army and RSF have been locked in a power struggle that has killed hundreds of thousands and displaced more than 14 million people.

The conflict has created one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, with millions in need of medical help.

The army controls much of central and eastern Sudan, while RSF runs the western Darfur region and parts of the south.

Both sides have been accused of using drone attacks, and the struck area had been under sustained attack in recent weeks.

The latest strike underscores the volatility sweeping Sudan and the escalating dangers faced by civilians amid the ongoing conflict.