Published On 6/12/2025
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Last update: 21:58 (Mecca time)
A local Sudanese official told Al Jazeera that the number of victims had risen to 114 people as a result of the attack launched by the Rapid Support Forces last Thursday on the city of Kalogli in South Kordofan State, which was condemned locally and internationally.
71 people were also injured in the attack, according to the Executive Director of Kaloki locality, Issam al-Din al-Nano.
Al-Nano explained – today, Saturday – that The high number of victims resulted from the serious injuries to which some of them were exposed, which led to death, in addition to the fact that there were some injuries whose families avoided bringing them to the hospital, which in turn had been bombed. A previous census reported that about 80 people were killed and dozens of others were injured.
The Sudanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed – in a statement – that the Rapid Support Forces committed a “full-fledged massacre” in Kaloki by directly targeting the kindergarten with missiles from a drone, then bombing it again while the people were trying to rescue the injured, before pursuing the injured and paramedics inside the hospital.
International and European condemnation
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) condemned the attack, saying that it represents a horrific violation of children’s rights, and stressed that the killing and mutilation of children, and attacks on schools and hospitals, are grave violations of their rights.
The United Nations said in a statement that the attack led to the killing of more than 10 children between the ages of 5 and 7 inside a kindergarten in the city.
The UNICEF statement attributed the organization’s representative in Sudan, Sheldon Yate, to saying that “killing children inside their school is a horrific violation of children’s rights.”
The organization stressed that “children should never pay the price of conflict, and we at UNICEF urge all parties to stop these attacks immediately and allow safe and unhindered humanitarian aid to reach those in need.”
The statement indicated that these strikes come amid a sharp deterioration in the security situation in Kordofan states since the beginning of last November, which led to widespread waves of displacement and a sharp increase in humanitarian needs.
For its part, the European Union strongly condemned the attack that targeted the city of Kaloki, and the European Union’s Commissioner for Crisis Management, Hajja Habib, said that what happened “represents a clear war crime,” stressing that targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure is completely prohibited under international humanitarian law.
“Excessive violence against the population requires urgent accountability,” Lahbib added, calling on the parties to the conflict to respect their legal obligations and protect civilians.
The battles continue
Meanwhile, a Sudanese army source told Al Jazeera that the air defense confronted the Rapid Support marches in the city of Damazin, southeast of the country.
On the other hand, the Rapid Support Forces accused the Sudanese army of bombing the Adre border crossing with Chad.
She indicated that the bombing directly targeted the Adakon Gate at the crossing.
The Rapid Support Forces accused the Sudanese army of aiming, by bombing the crossing, to impede the flow of humanitarian aid and obstruct relief efforts.
For weeks, the three states of the Kordofan region have witnessed fierce battles between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces, with the latter controlling most of the Darfur region with its five states, while the army maintains control over most of the other states, including the capital, Khartoum.
Observers warn that the expansion of the battles deep into Kordofan heralds greater displacement, after the conflict since April 2023 has caused the deaths of tens of thousands and the displacement of nearly 13 million people, in one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world.