The Sudan Doctors Network (SDN) said Saturday that an artillery attack by forces affiliated with the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N), led by Abdelaziz al-Hilu, struck residential areas in Kadugli, the capital of South Kordofan state, killing civilians, including children.
Preliminary information indicated that an entire family, consisting of a mother and her three children, was killed in the shelling, the medical group said in a statement posted on social media.
The network denounced the attack, saying the shelling of residential neighbourhoods had caused further civilian casualties in a city already facing severe humanitarian and security challenges.
It held the SPLM-N forces responsible for the attack and called for an immediate halt to attacks targeting civilians, urging all parties to the conflict to comply with international humanitarian law and protect civilian lives and property.
SDN affirmed that the indiscriminate shelling of populated areas violated international humanitarian principles prohibiting attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure.
It also called on the United Nations and international human rights and humanitarian organisations to condemn the incident, document alleged violations and ensure that those responsible are held accountable.
The network urged international organisations to take steps to strengthen civilian protection in conflict-affected areas.
Kadugli, in South Kordofan, has been affected by fighting amid Sudan’s wider conflict, which erupted in April 2023 between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces. Fighting involving other armed groups has further complicated the security situation in parts of the country.
The casualty figures cited by the network were preliminary, and no independent confirmation of the reported deaths was immediately available.
