SUDAN: US Diplomat Condemns Deadly Drone Strike on Wedding Ceremony

U.S Senior Advisor for Arab and African Affairs Massad Boulos

The United States has strongly condemned a drone strike on a wedding celebration in Kutum, North Darfur, that killed at least 58 civilians, including 17 children and many women.

The attack occurred on April 9 in an RSF-held area of the conflict-ravaged region, where a wedding procession was struck near a local school. Local emergency committees reported dozens more injured, with victims buried in the days following the assault.

U.S. Senior Advisor for Arab and African Affairs Massad Boulos issued a sharp rebuke on Tuesday. “The United States strongly condemns the strike on a wedding celebration in Kutum which has killed at least 58 people,” he said. “This troubling pattern of targeting civilians must stop and will stop if both sides accept a humanitarian truce and honor their commitments. The violence must end to enable the injured to heal in peace and bring humanitarian assistance to those in desperate need.”

The condemnation echoes statements from the United Nations. UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ office earlier denounced the strike as part of a disturbing pattern of civilian targeting, urging an immediate halt to hostilities in Sudan’s civil war.

Humanitarian groups warn the incident highlights the deepening crisis. Since fighting erupted between the Sudanese Armed Forces and Rapid Support Forces in 2023, millions have been displaced, famine grips parts of Darfur, and aid access remains severely restricted. Attacks on civilian gatherings have become tragically common, exacerbating what the UN describes as one of the world’s worst humanitarian disasters.

Rights organisations and regional bodies have joined calls for accountability, pressing both warring factions to prioritise civilian protection and allow unrestricted humanitarian corridors. Analysts say only a genuine truce can prevent further atrocities and deliver life-saving aid to desperate communities caught in the crossfire.

As Sudan’s conflict enters its fourth year, international pressure mounts for both sides to return to the negotiating table before more innocent lives are lost.