The Sudanese Alliance for Rights strongly condemns the drone attack carried out by the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) this afternoon, Tuesday, 18 February 2026, in Um Rasoum Village, West Kordofan State, which targeted civilians gathered at a natural water source. The attack occurred on the first day of the holy month of Ramadan, a time of peace, reflection, and mercy for millions of Sudanese, rendering this violation all the more egregious.
According to information received from sources on the ground, the strike hit a civilian water point relied upon by local residents for drinking, cooking, livestock, and daily survival. In a context marked by prolonged conflict, displacement, and severe water scarcity, such natural water sources are lifelines for entire communities. Targeting civilians as they seek water constitutes not only a brutal assault on human life but also an attack on the means of survival of a population already enduring immense hardship.
The deliberate or reckless use of explosive weapons against civilians at an indispensable civilian site amounts to a grave violation of international humanitarian law. Under the Geneva Conventions of 1949 and their Additional Protocol II, all parties to a non-international armed conflict are strictly prohibited from targeting civilians and civilian objects. Water sources are protected objects under international humanitarian law, and attacks against them violate the fundamental principles of distinction, proportionality, and precaution, which require parties to the conflict to spare civilians and objects essential to their survival.
Furthermore, intentionally directing attacks against civilians or civilian objects, or launching indiscriminate attacks resulting in civilian harm, may constitute war crimes under Article 8 of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC). The timing, location, and nature of this attack raise serious concerns of unlawful conduct that warrants urgent accountability.
The Sudanese Alliance for Rights calls for an immediate, independent, and impartial investigation into this attack by relevant international and regional accountability mechanisms, including the United Nations, the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, and the International Criminal Court. We urge these bodies to take all necessary steps within their respective mandates to ensure that those responsible; including those who ordered or authorised the attack are identified and held to account. Continued impunity for violations against civilians only perpetuates cycles of violence and emboldens further abuses.
We mourn the loss of civilian lives taken in this senseless attack and extend our deepest condolences to the families of the victims. May the souls of those killed rest in peace, and we wish a full and swift recovery to all those injured. No civilian should lose their life while seeking water for their family.
We further reiterate our urgent call on all warring parties to immediately cease hostilities and to fully respect international humanitarian and human rights law. The continued targeting of civilians and essential resources is driving mass displacement, deepening humanitarian suffering, and destroying the social fabric of Sudan.
The protection of civilians is not optional. An immediate end to hostilities is essential to prevent further loss of life and to allow for humanitarian access, accountability, and a path toward justice and lasting peace in Sudan. As the holy month of Ramadan begins, the Sudanese Alliance for Rights calls on all people of conscience to lift Sudan in their prayers, and to pray for an end to a conflict that, by April, will have entered its fourth year, having already inflicted immense suffering, displacement, and loss upon the Sudanese people. May this month be one of mercy, restraint, and renewed commitment to peace.
Sudanese Alliance for Rights
18th February 2026
