Khartoum: At least 24 boys, 11 girls, and two pregnant women were reportedly among the victims of violence over the weekend in communities around the city of Bara, including the villages of Shag Alnom and Hilat Hamid. UNICEF has expressed grave concern over the attacks and fears that with dozens more injured and many still missing, the number of child casualties could rise further.
According to United Nations, former allies turned rivals – the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) – have been battling for control of the country since April 2023, with fighting intensifying recently in the Kordofan region, which encompasses three states. UNICEF has condemned the attacks in the strongest possible terms, urging all parties to end the violence immediately and to uphold their obligations under international law, including international humanitarian law, as well as the principles of distinction, proportionality, and precaution.
The UNICEF chief, Ms. Russell, has stressed that civilians – particularly children – must never be targeted. She has called for all alleged violations to be independently investigated, and for those responsible to be held accountable. Impunity cannot be tolerated for violations of international law, especially when children’s lives are at stake, she emphasized.
Ms. Russell extended the agency’s deepest condolences to the families of the victims and to anyone impacted by this heinous violence. “No child should ever experience such horrors,” she stated. “Violence against children is unconscionable and must end now.”