Darfur Victims Support strongly condemns the aerial attack that targeted a civilian gathering in Bayam Kasha, in Al-Sunut County, South Kordofan State, on the afternoon of 27 March 2026, during a mourning ceremony. The incident reflects the expanding pattern of attacks that have increasingly targeted civilians and their social gatherings in conflict-affected areas.
According to preliminary information obtained by the organization from local sources and corroborated witness testimonies, the attack was carried out by a drone operated by the Sudanese Armed Forces, believed to be of the Turkish-made model locally known as “Akinci.” The strike reportedly occurred at approximately 3:00 p.m., resulting in 46 civilian casualties, including both those killed and injured.
This incident does not appear to be isolated from the broader escalation unfolding in the region. It follows a series of previous drone attacks in recent days and weeks that have struck civilian areas across Kordofan and Darfur, including markets, displacement sites, health facilities, and residential gatherings. This pattern raises serious concern over the repeated use of such attacks in environments clearly known to be civilian in nature. In March 2026, the United Nations warned of the sharp rise in civilian casualties caused by drone strikes in Kordofan and Darfur, reflecting an alarming expansion in the impact of aerial operations on civilian populations.
According to the preliminary casualty count, 7 people were killed, namely: Ishaq Al-Shoun Mohammed, Hashim Saber Hashim, Dahiya Al-Toum Mohammed, Azraq Muqaddam Abdelhalim, Abdelaziz Adam Mahmoud, Adam Mahmoud Abu Halima, and Ali Hamid.
The attack also left 39 people injured with varying degrees of wounds. As of the time of drafting this report, the organization has been able to document 38 names of the injured, namely: Mukhtar Malwah Barah Kinda, Kabashi Abdallah, Amer Nasr Hassan, Saboun Al-Dawi Tarbil, Mohammed Karshoum Tarbil, Fadl Azraq Dartam, Al-Ahmar Umm Qutna, Kabashi Abdelmonim Brima, Faisal Adam Hriwat, Al-Imam Musa Al-Imam, Nasr Abkar Ahmed, Hamad Yahya, Hashim Ramadan Omar, Awad Ajabna Bika, Abdallah Ali Abdallah, Ali Abdallah Bakhit, Ismail Al-Fadil Hamdan, Hassan Barsham Abdelhalim, Jalal Qaidoum Omar, Ghabous Omar Al-Amin, Al-Amin Ghabous Al-Amin, Abbas Al-Amin Hashim, Azraq Fudaili Izairiq, Haqqar Musa Al-Imam, Omar Jumaa Abdelmonim, Khairallah Othman, Adam Hriwat Azraq, Saber Mohammed Hashim, Jadallah Nour Al-Din Wanees, Al-Tayeb Mohammed Adam, Moamen Janabo Mohammed Darban, Mudir Mohammed Bashir, Qaidoum Ramadan Omar, Hamid Hamdiya Ramadan, Ayman Bimo Hashim, Ismail Adam Hriwat, Al-Bashar Abdelmanan Abdelhalim, and Abouh Musa Omar.
Available information indicates that the targeted site was a purely civilian gathering associated with a well-known social occasion of an entirely civilian nature. To date, there has been no credible indication of the presence of any direct military objective at the location at the time of the strike. On that basis, the targeting of this gathering raises a strong suspicion of an unlawful attack against civilians, in clear violation of the rules of international humanitarian law, particularly the principle of distinction between civilians and combatants, as well as the obligation to take all feasible precautions to avoid, or at the very least minimize, harm to the civilian population.
The organization views this attack as part of a disturbing pattern of escalating aerial attacks on civilian areas. The consequences of such attacks extend far beyond the immediate human toll; they also undermine community security, spread fear among the population, and disrupt the normal fabric of civilian life, including social gatherings and mourning ceremonies, which must remain protected from attack under all circumstances. In this context, human rights and humanitarian actors documented similar attacks during February and March 2026 that caused significant civilian casualties in parts of Kordofan and Darfur, including at displacement sites, markets, and hospitals, further reinforcing indications of a repeated and systematic pattern in the use of aerial force against civilians or in their immediate surroundings.
This attack further deepens the fragility of the humanitarian situation in the area, amid weak health infrastructure and severely limited access to medical treatment and emergency care. This significantly increases the risk that some injuries may worsen or lead to subsequent deaths due to the lack of essential medical services and supplies.
Darfur Victims Support calls for an independent and credible investigation into this incident and for the identification of those responsible at both the operational and command levels. The organization also calls for the immediate cessation of the use of drones and other aerial weapons against civilian-populated areas, the urgent delivery of medical assistance to the injured and affected communities, and serious action to combat impunity and ensure accountability for all those responsible for grave violations committed against civilians.
