A drone strike targeting a funeral in Sudan’s North Kordofan state has resulted in the deaths of at least 40 people, according to officials and activists. The attack occurred on Monday in al-Luweib village, located just 15 kilometers east of the army-held city of el-Obeid. Mourners had gathered in a tent when the strike was launched, with many victims reportedly dying before reaching hospitals in el-Obeid, a strategic city linking Khartoum to Darfur. The paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has been blamed for the attack, though it has yet to issue a statement. This incident is part of a broader escalation of violence in the oil-rich Kordofan region, where fighting has intensified since the RSF captured Bara town last week, forcing around 20,000 people to flee to el-Obeid. The RSF has also been accused of mass atrocities, including killings, sexual violence, abductions, and looting in el-Fasher, the army’s last stronghold in Darfur. The International Criminal Court (ICC) has warned that these actions could constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity. Meanwhile, the UN has confirmed that el-Fasher residents are suffering from famine due to an 18-month siege by the RSF, with Kadugli in South Kordofan also facing catastrophic hunger levels. UN Secretary-General António Guterres has called for an immediate halt to the violence, describing the crisis as ‘spiralling out of control.’ Despite international efforts to broker a ceasefire, including proposals from the US, peace talks in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain have failed, with both sides showing reluctance to agree to a truce. The humanitarian crisis in Sudan continues to worsen, with over 150,000 deaths and 12 million displaced since the civil war began in April 2023.