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Drone Strikes Spread Across Kordofan and Blue Nile as UN Keeps Sudan Arms Embargo Limited to Darfur

Strikes have hit a university dormitory, a shelter for displaced families, aid trucks and homes in army-held cities. In New York, the Security Council again declined to widen the embargo or name drones.

By Grok SI News ·

Three and a half years into Sudan's war between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), much of the fighting has moved to Kordofan, the corridor between army-held central Sudan and RSF-held Darfur. Blue Nile state, on the Ethiopian border, is increasingly affected too.

In the two weeks to Oct. 11, drone strikes hit a university dormitory and a shelter for displaced families in El Obeid, aid trucks in South Kordofan and homes in Ed Damazin, according to UN statements and news reports. Responsibility for most of these strikes has not been independently established.

On Oct. 8, the UN Security Council voted unanimously for a two-month extension of its Sudan sanctions regime. The arms embargo stays limited to Darfur. The United States had sought to extend it to the whole country and to cover drones explicitly, Al Jazeera and AFP reported on Oct. 9.

The drone campaign

The army is advancing on the ground. It said it retook Al-Mazroub, about 130 km northwest of El Obeid, on Oct. 2, a week after taking Sodari, Asharq Al-Awsat reported on Oct. 3. The outlet said RSF positions could not be independently verified.

Drones, meanwhile, keep hitting army-held cities:

  • El Obeid, Sept. 30 or Oct. 1: A drone hit a University of Kordofan dormitory; Anadolu and AFP put it on Sept. 30, Sudan Tribune on Oct. 1. The Sudan Doctors Network blamed the RSF. AFP reported that the Emergency Lawyers group "did not say who was responsible." Asharq Al-Awsat (Oct. 3) said responsibility "could not be independently established."
  • El Obeid, Oct. 1: A drone strike hit a centre sheltering displaced families. A government official blamed the RSF (AFP via Asharq Al-Awsat, Oct. 3).
  • South Kordofan, Oct. 3: An aerial attack between Dilling and Kadugli hit two trucks contracted by the World Food Programme, the UN deputy spokesperson said on Oct. 5. According to WFP, the trucks were "clearly marked as humanitarian vehicles." The UN has not publicly said who carried out the attack. UN official Tom Fletcher called it "unacceptable."
  • Ed Damazin, Blue Nile, Oct. 7: In the early hours, drone strikes hit the El Hijra neighbourhood of the state capital, as well as a mosque, a technical college and the state finance minister's home (Radio Dabanga; Sudan Now, both Oct. 7). The Blue Nile Civil Society Initiative blamed the RSF and its ally, the SPLM-N. Sudan Now said responsibility had not been independently verified.
  • El Obeid, Oct. 9: Sudan Now reported a three-hour RSF drone attack on the city between 3 and 6 a.m. local time. No casualty figures were confirmed.

According to Sudan Tribune and Sudan Now, the RSF typically denies targeting civilians and did not comment on the El Obeid or Ed Damazin strikes.

Earlier UN findings give background. On Sept. 3, the UN fact-finding mission on Sudan said in its report "Fuelling Sudan's conflict" that RSF drone strikes on El Obeid in July and August may amount to war crimes. The report also said up to 2,000 former Colombian military contractors were working with the RSF (Security Council Report, Oct. 1).

Reuters reported on Sept. 30 that the United States has accused the RSF of genocide and the army of war crimes, including chemical weapons use. The UN mission found "hallmarks of genocide" in El Fasher, which the RSF captured in October 2025 (Security Council Report, Oct. 1). In ACLED conflict data analysed by Al Jazeera (Oct. 1), the army accounts for 52% of all recorded attacks since April 2023 and the RSF for 34.7%.

Casualties as reported

Counts come from different sources using different methods, and many cannot be independently checked. Where sources conflict, each is given.

Recent strikes:

  • University dormitory, El Obeid: 5 killed, 47 wounded, according to the Sudan Doctors Network (Anadolu, Oct. 1) and the Sudan Doctors Network and Emergency Lawyers (AFP via Asharq Al-Awsat, Oct. 3).
  • Displaced-family shelter, El Obeid, Oct. 1: 5 killed, 13 injured, according to a North Kordofan official and a hospital source who spoke to AFP (Asharq Al-Awsat, Oct. 3).
  • WFP trucks, Oct. 3: 1 driver killed (UN, Oct. 5).
  • Ed Damazin, Oct. 7: 4 women killed (Radio Dabanga; Sudan Now, Oct. 7). Accounts of how they were related differ. Sudan Now said all four were from the same family. The Blue Nile Civil Society Initiative's secretary-general told Radio Dabanga that two were from the same family and two were neighbours.
  • El Obeid, Sept. 26: at least 2 displaced people killed and 7 injured, according to humanitarian partners cited by the UN humanitarian office, OCHA (Sept. 29).

War-wide figures:

  • Total deaths: Al Jazeera and AFP (Oct. 9) put the toll at "at least 59,000," noting that aid groups warn it "could be far higher." Asharq Al-Awsat and AFP (Oct. 3) reported "more than 200,000," citing aid workers. The second figure is more than three times the first; such estimates can include indirect deaths and have not been audited.
  • Kordofan: at least 12,314 reported fatalities since April 2023, according to ACLED data analysed by Al Jazeera (Oct. 1). The region accounts for about 19.7% of all recorded attacks. ACLED counts reported deaths, so this is a minimum.
  • Civilian drone deaths: at least 1,100 from January to June 2026, according to UN figures released Aug. 24 (via Sudan Tribune, Oct. 1). AFP reported "more than 1,100" in the "first five months" of the year.

Displacement:

  • Total displaced, including refugees abroad: about 13 million (Al Jazeera/AFP, Oct. 9; Asharq Al-Awsat/AFP, Oct. 3), versus 14 million according to WFP's Carl Skau (Sept. 14, via Security Council Report).
  • El Fasher area: more than 300,000 people displaced since the city fell (UN via AFP, Oct. 3).
  • Blue Nile: more than 10,000 newly displaced from Sept. 26 to Oct. 4, according to the International Organization for Migration (UN, Oct. 5).
  • El Obeid: about 500,000 people, including more than 83,000 displaced, according to IOM figures cited by Al Jazeera (Oct. 1). Security Council Report (Oct. 1) said the city's population had "roughly doubled."

The UN embargo fight

The Council's Sudan sanctions regime, set up under Resolution 1591, includes an arms embargo that covers only Darfur. On Sept. 11, Resolution 2828 extended the regime for one month (Security Council Report, Oct. 1).

On Sept. 30, the African Union, the European Union, France, Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States issued a joint statement backing "reinforcing the sanctions regime and its application to all of Sudan" (Security Council Report, Oct. 7). The United States, which leads on the file as "penholder," sought a nationwide embargo covering all parties, with explicit language on drones and dual-use goods.

On Oct. 8, the Council instead unanimously adopted Resolution 2830, a two-month "technical rollover." It extends the regime to Dec. 11 and the Panel of Experts' mandate to Jan. 11, 2027 (Al Jazeera/AFP and Xinhua, Oct. 9; Security Council Report, Oct. 7). The US dropped the nationwide and drone provisions after opposition from Russia, China and the A3, the Council's three African members.

  • Russia: Deputy ambassador Anna Evstigneeva said in September: "We will not allow even a hint of broadening the restrictions."
  • United States: Ambassador Jeff Bartos called the regime "over 20 years outdated."
  • Sudan: Its UN ambassador argued that a total embargo would violate the country's right to self-defence (Al Jazeera, Oct. 9).

On Oct. 5, the Human Rights Council extended the fact-finding mission's mandate by a year and called for a halt to support for all parties (Security Council Report, Oct. 7).

Ceasefire diplomacy. US Senior Advisor Massad Boulos is pressing for a 90-day ceasefire followed by talks. In September he said neither army chief Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan nor RSF leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo has a future role (The National, Sept. 15). The State Department has said neither side "represent[s] legitimate, constitutional governance" (Security Council Report; Reuters via The Star, Sept. 30).

Amjad Farid, an adviser to Burhan, told Reuters (Sept. 30) that Boulos was pressing "a de facto partitioning of the country similar to Libyan model." The RSF runs a parallel government in Nyala, Reuters reported. Boulos and Burhan later met at a lunch hosted by Egypt's Sisi in New Alamein. Security Council Report dates the meeting to Oct. 3; Sudan Tribune dates it to Sunday, Oct. 4. Sudan Tribune (Oct. 5) reported that Boulos reaffirmed support for Sudan's "sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity."

The Quad of mediators (the US, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Egypt) is divided. Saudi Arabia objects to what it sees as US favouritism toward the UAE, according to Security Council Report (Oct. 1).

The humanitarian situation

  • Hunger: About 20 million people face acute hunger, including 200,000 at IPC Phase 5, the famine level (WFP's Skau, Sept. 14, via Security Council Report). The UN said on Oct. 5 that 7.1 million of the 9.1 million people needing food aid in the fourth quarter could face gaps.
  • Funding: Security Council Report (Oct. 1) said WFP is "roughly one-third funded compared to last year." The International Rescue Committee has cut support for more than 473,000 people (UN, Oct. 5).
  • Aid under fire: On Oct. 2, a WFP-contracted truck hit an explosive device in Dilling (UN, Oct. 5). On Aug. 30, a strike near Dilling destroyed more than 50 tonnes of WFP food (Security Council Report).
  • El Obeid: Security Council Report (Oct. 1) described "siege-like conditions, with worsening water shortages, a cholera outbreak, and mounting reports of sexual violence."
  • Cholera: An outbreak that began in Al Nuhud, West Kordofan, in May has spread to 20 localities in six states, with about 3,000 cases and 250 deaths. Cases are now declining, and more than 915,000 people have been vaccinated (OCHA, Sept. 29).

Analysis

This section is Groksinews analysis based on the sourced facts above.

The embargo covers Darfur. Every strike reported in this period, in El Obeid, on the Dilling-Kadugli road and in Ed Damazin, took place outside Darfur. The Oct. 8 vote leaves that gap in place until at least Dec. 11. On the ground, the army reports gains in North Kordofan, while drones continue to hit cities far behind the front. For most of those strikes, the only attribution comes from one side or from local monitors. Diplomacy is split as well: Washington is pursuing a ceasefire and wider sanctions at once, the Quad mediators disagree with each other, and Burhan's camp warns that freezing current lines could divide the country.

What to watch

  • Dec. 11: The sanctions regime expires unless the Council renews it again. Watch whether the nationwide and drone provisions return.
  • This month: The Security Council's regular Sudan briefing, expected in October (Security Council Report, Oct. 1).
  • North Kordofan: Front lines after the army's reported capture of Al-Mazroub.
  • The 90-day plan: Any RSF response. Reuters (Sept. 30) said the RSF had not commented recently.
  • Aid access: WFP convoys in South Kordofan.

Grok facts, not opinions.

Sources

  1. Security Council Report, Sudan, October 2026 Monthly Forecast (Oct. 1, 2026): https://www.securitycouncilreport.org/monthly-forecast/2026-10/sudan-42.php
  2. Security Council Report, What's in Blue, Sudan sanctions vote (Oct. 7, 2026): https://www.securitycouncilreport.org/whatsinblue/2026/10/sudan-sanctions-vote-on-a-draft-resolution-extending-the-sanctions-regime-2.php
  3. Al Jazeera/AFP, Resolution 2830 (Oct. 9, 2026): https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/10/9/un-extends-darfur-arms-embargo-blocks-broader-sudan-sanctions-proposal
  4. Xinhua, Resolution 2830 (Oct. 9, 2026): https://english.news.cn/20261009/cbb7e7cd08c84217b5e725d728351d9d/c.html
  5. UN Deputy Spokesperson, via UNifeed (Oct. 5, 2026): https://media.un.org/unifeed/en/asset/d364/d3640527
  6. OCHA via APO (Sept. 29, 2026): https://www.africa-newsroom.com/press/sudan-cholera-cases-decline-after-humanitarians-step-up-support-to-contain-outbreak?lang=en
  7. Reuters via The Star (Sept. 30, 2026): https://www.thestar.com.my/news/world/2026/10/01/us-ceasefire-plan-for-sudan-could-lead-to-libya-style-partition-adviser-says
  8. Al Jazeera, Kordofan explainer with ACLED data (Oct. 1, 2026): https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/10/1/the-battle-for-kordofan-the-corridor-linking-sudans-east-and-west
  9. Anadolu Agency (Oct. 1, 2026): https://www.aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/5-killed-47-injured-in-rsf-drone-attack-on-university-dormitory-in-sudan-doctors-group/4075068
  10. Sudan Tribune (Oct. 1, 2026): https://sudantribune.com/article/319476
  11. Asharq Al-Awsat/AFP (Oct. 3, 2026): https://english.aawsat.com/arab-world/5325363-drone-strikes-dormitory-shelter-kill-10-sudans-el-obeid
  12. Asharq Al-Awsat (Oct. 3, 2026): https://english.aawsat.com/arab-world/5325383-sudanese-army-expands-control-north-kordofan
  13. Sudan Tribune (Oct. 5, 2026): https://sudantribune.com/article/319653
  14. Radio Dabanga (Oct. 7, 2026): https://www.dabangasudan.org/en/all-news/article/sudan-war-four-women-killed-in-drone-strikes-on-ed-damazin-blue-nile
  15. Sudan Now (Oct. 7, 2026): https://en.sudannow.net/four-civilians-killed-in-ed-damazin-drone-strike-civil-group-blames-rsf-splm-n/
  16. Sudan Now (Oct. 9, 2026): https://en.sudannow.net/rsf-drones-target-el-obeid-in-three-hour-overnight-attack/
  17. The National (Sept. 15, 2026): https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/2026/09/15/no-future-for-al-burhan-or-dagalo-in-sudan-says-us-envoy/

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