Sudan's warring sides trade blame after deadly attack on UN aid convoy

KHARTOUM - Sudan's warring sides traded accusations on Tuesday after a United Nations aid convoy came under attack in North Darfur, killing five humanitarian workers and injuring several more.

The convoy, comprising 15 trucks delivering emergency food and nutrition supplies to famine-stricken El Fasher, was struck late Monday in the Al-Koma area, according to a joint statement released on Tuesday by the World Food Programme (WFP) and the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF).

Sudan's Foreign Ministry blamed the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) for what it described as a "criminal drone attack", claiming the assault destroyed several trucks, incinerated life-saving cargo, and left drivers, security personnel, and civilians dead or injured. The ministry said the government remains committed to facilitating humanitarian assistance and cooperating with international relief agencies.

In a separate statement, the Sudanese Agency for Relief and Humanitarian Operations (SARHO), an RSF-aligned body, denied responsibility and instead accused the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) of launching an airstrike that hit the convoy. SARHO said five WFP staff were killed, four wounded, and nine trucks destroyed in what it called a deliberate SAF attack.

"Five members of the convoy were killed, and several more were injured. Multiple trucks were burned, and essential humanitarian cargo was damaged," WFP and UNICEF confirmed in their statement. The agencies said the convoy's route had been pre-approved and communicated to all relevant parties in advance.

Both UN bodies condemned the attack in the strongest terms, warning that strikes on humanitarian operations violate international law. "Under international humanitarian law, humanitarian convoys must be protected," the statement read. "All parties are obliged to allow safe and unhindered passage of aid to civilians in need."

Sudan has been in the grip of a brutal conflict since April 2023, when tensions between the SAF and RSF escalated into a full-scale civil war. The fighting has killed tens of thousands, displaced millions, and plunged the country into one of the world's gravest humanitarian disasters.