The airstrike took place on Saturday and was reportedly in retaliation for an attack by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on a Sudanese army base. The RSF is a faction of the Sudanese military that has been engaged in a 12-week-long conflict with the Sudanese army.

The UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, expressed his dismay over the air raid and voiced his concern about reports of widespread violence and casualties across the Darfur region. He called the airstrike a "dangerous and disturbing disregard for humanitarian and human rights laws."

The UN reiterated its call for an immediate cessation of hostilities and urged both the Sudanese armed forces and the RSF to commit to a lasting peace.

The power struggle between General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, the army chief, and his former deputy, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, who leads the paramilitary force, has fueled the ongoing conflict between the Sudanese army and the RSF. The violence has claimed the lives of over 1,100 people and has displaced over 2.9 million people.

In recent days, the focus of the conflict has been on Omdurman, as it serves as a crucial supply route for the RSF. Despite various mediation efforts, most have failed to bring about a resolution, and temporary humanitarian ceasefires have been violated by the warring factions. (ILKHA)