Khartoum: Rhino – The Emergency Lawyers Group condemned the army’s targeting of two civilian vehicles in the Adid Rahah area of Sudari locality in North Kordofan state with a drone yesterday evening, which resulted in the killing of three civilians and the injury of another person. The two vehicles were carrying civilians coming from the Um Badr area on their way to Northern State to receive medical treatment.
In a statement issued today, the Emergency Lawyers Group confirmed that the targeted vehicles were a 2010 Hyundai Tucson and a 2010 Toyota Box, both civilian vehicles with no military use, which refutes any legitimate suspicion regarding their civilian nature and confirms that they were deliberately targeted.
The statement noted that the continuation of this pattern of systematic targeting of civilians constitutes an open policy of killing that persists despite widespread condemnation and repeated warnings, in the absence of any accountability or effective deterrence. The group considered that international silence regarding this escalation contributes to entrenching impunity, and demands an immediate halt to attacks on civilians and the guarantee of their full protection in accordance with the rules of international humanitarian law.
The statement read: “This attack is part of an ongoing series of drone strikes targeting civilians in North Kordofan, including civilian vehicles, villages, and markets. Over the past seven days, the group has documented the deaths of 33 civilians and injuries to dozens more as a result of these attacks”.
It continued: (The impact of these attacks is exacerbated by the continued targeting of civilians while they are on the move, deteriorating health conditions, and the destruction of health infrastructure, which forces the sick and injured to travel long distances to seek treatment amid increasing life-threatening risks. These attacks also reflect the gravity of the humanitarian situation facing the civilian population as a result of the targeting of their lives, markets, daily activities, and means of transportation).
