At least 14 civilians were killed and 23 others injured on Saturday night, March 28, 2026, after a coordinated artillery and drone barrage struck residential areas in Dilling, South Kordofan. According to a statement by the Sudan Doctors Network, the victims include five children and two women, marking one of the deadliest escalations in the strategic city since the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) broke a two-year siege in late January.
The Attack: Residential Areas under Fire
The shelling targeted the second-largest city in South Kordofan for two consecutive days, with witnesses describing a “relentless” bombardment that hit health centers, markets, and neighborhoods.
- Casualties: Beyond the 14 confirmed dead, the medical group reported that seven children are among the dozens injured, many of whom are in critical condition.
- Medical Crisis: The Sudan Doctors Network warned that Dilling is facing “extremely difficult humanitarian and health conditions,” characterized by a severe shortage of medical personnel and essential supplies.
- The Alliance: The offensive was reportedly launched by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in coordination with the SPLM-N (Al-Hilu) faction. The Sudanese army claimed on Sunday that it had successfully repelled the ground assault following the initial bombardment.
Siege and “Genocidal Hallmarks”
The massacre in Dilling comes just weeks after a landmark United Nations Fact-Finding Mission report on February 19, 2026, which concluded that RSF operations in Sudan have begun to bear the “hallmarks of genocide.”
- Systematic Targeting: While the UN report focused on the fall of El-Fasher in late 2025, it noted a consistent pattern of “identity-based targeting” and “deliberately inflicted conditions of life” intended to bring about the destruction of non-Arab communities.
- Famine as a Weapon: Dilling was classified as facing famine conditions in late 2025 due to the prolonged RSF blockade. The renewed shelling and the seizure of the al-Tukma area (7 km east of Dilling) have reportedly cut off vital supply routes again, causing basic commodity prices to skyrocket.
Strategic Context: The Kordofan Front
The battle for Dilling is a critical component of the broader struggle for control over central Sudan.
- Supply Lines: The SAF had recently reopened the road linking Dilling to North Kordofan, ending years of isolation. The RSF-SPLM-N alliance is now attempting to re-establish a total blockade to isolate the SAF’s 54th Brigade.
- External Actors: The Sudanese government has repeatedly accused the UAE of providing military and logistical support to the RSF, a charge the UAE denies, despite mounting evidence of “UAE-backed” paramilitary movements across the Darfur and Kordofan borders.
- Humanitarian Displacement: IOM estimates indicate that over 88,000 people have been displaced in the Kordofan region in just the last three months due to this intensified “infrastructure war.”
| Event Detail | Information (Mar 30, 2026) |
| Location | Dilling, South Kordofan, Sudan. |
| Total Killed | 14 (5 Children, 2 Women). |
| Total Injured | 23 (7 Children). |
| Perpetrators | RSF and SPLM-N (Al-Hilu) Alliance. |
| UN Assessment | “Hallmarks of Genocide” (Feb 2026 Report). |
International Call for Protection
The Sudan Doctors Network has issued an urgent appeal to the international community and humanitarian organizations to take “immediate action” to stop RSF violations. With the International Criminal Court (ICC) currently monitoring the “genocidal path” in Darfur, rights groups are calling for the inclusion of the Kordofan massacres in ongoing war crimes investigations.
