The Sudanese Alliance for Rights strongly condemns the drone strike carried out by the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) on Friday, 16 February 2026, which targeted a shelter hosting internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the Al Sunt area of West Kordofan State.
According to our verified sources on the ground, the attack killed more than 25 civilians and injured at least 12 others. The shelter was housing families who had already been displaced by the ongoing armed conflict in Sudan. Many of the victims were women and children who had sought refuge from violence, only to be struck in a place they believed to be safe.
This attack represents a grave violation of international humanitarian law. Under the Geneva Conventions, particularly Common Article 3, parties to a conflict are obligated to protect civilians and civilian objects and to distinguish at all times between combatants and non-combatants. Intentionally directing attacks against civilians or civilian infrastructure constitutes a serious breach of these obligations.
Furthermore, the principles of distinction, proportionality, and precaution—enshrined in Additional Protocol I—require all parties to take constant care to spare the civilian population. The targeting of a displacement shelter is incompatible with these principles. Displacement shelters are civilian objects and must never be considered military objectives under any circumstances.
Such acts may also amount to war crimes under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, which prohibits intentionally directing attacks against civilian populations and civilian objects.
Since the outbreak of war in April 2023, drone attacks have increasingly become a feature of the conflict in Sudan. These attacks have repeatedly struck residential areas, markets, and displacement sites, resulting in mounting civilian casualties. Communities already devastated by fighting continue to pay the highest price, with families losing loved ones and being displaced multiple times. The normalization of drone warfare in populated areas has created a climate of fear and insecurity, undermining any remaining sense of safety for civilians.
The Sudanese Alliance for Rights calls for an immediate, independent, and transparent investigation into the Al Sunt attack; full accountability for those responsible for violations of international humanitarian and human rights law; immediate measures to ensure the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure in strict compliance with international legal obligations; and urgent international action to prevent further unlawful attacks and the continued loss of civilian life.
The continued targeting of displaced communities is unacceptable. Civilians are not parties to this conflict and must never be treated as military objectives. The Sudanese Alliance for Rights stands in solidarity with the victims and their families and reiterates that lasting peace in Sudan cannot be built on impunity.
Sudanese Alliance for Rights
17 February 2026
