The Sudanese Alliance for Rights strongly condemns the drone attack carried out by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on Shekiri Village in White Nile State, Sudan, on Wednesday, 11 March 2026, which reportedly killed more than 20 civilians, including women and children.
This attack is yet another tragic reminder of the devastating toll the ongoing conflict continues to impose on Sudanese civilians. Families and communities who should be living in safety and dignity are instead subjected to violence, loss, and profound suffering. The killing of civilians in Shekiri Village represents a deeply distressing moment for the affected community and for the Sudanese people as a whole.
The Sudanese Alliance for Rights stresses that attacks directed against civilians and civilian-populated areas constitute serious violations of international humanitarian law, including the fundamental principles of distinction, proportionality, and precaution under the Geneva Conventions and their customary rules. Parties to an armed conflict are legally obligated to distinguish at all times between civilians and combatants and to take all feasible precautions to avoid or minimise harm to civilian populations.
The use of explosive weapons, including drone strikes, in civilian-populated areas raises grave concerns about the indiscriminate or disproportionate use of force, which may amount to war crimes under international law. Such acts also undermine the protections guaranteed under international human rights law, including the right to life as enshrined in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
Beyond the legal implications, this attack reflects the profound human tragedy unfolding across Sudan. Civilians continue to bear the heaviest burden of a conflict not of their making. The Sudanese Alliance for Rights stands in solidarity with the victims’ families and the people of Shekiri Village as they mourn their loved ones and cope with the trauma inflicted upon their community.
We call on the Rapid Support Forces and all parties to the conflict to immediately cease attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure, respect their obligations under international humanitarian and human rights law, and take all necessary measures to ensure the protection of civilian populations.
We further urge the international community, including regional and global actors such as the African Union, the United Nations, and the International Criminal Court, to intensify efforts to document violations, support independent accountability mechanisms, and ensure that those responsible for serious abuses are held accountable. The continued documentation and investigation of these violations are essential to ending impunity and delivering justice for victims.
Finally, the Sudanese Alliance for Rights reiterates its call to all Sudanese actors to place the safety and dignity of the Sudanese people above all else and to pursue an immediate cessation of hostilities and a peaceful resolution to the conflict. The continued cycle of violence will only deepen the suffering of civilians who have already endured far too much.
The people of Sudan deserve peace, protection, and justice.
Sudanese Alliance for Rights
12 March 2026.
