UNITED NATIONS, Oct. 20 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations on Tuesday strongly condemned relentless drone strikes on civilians and critical infrastructure across Sudan.
"We also strongly condemn the reported killing of dozens of civilians in a drone strike on a market in the locality of Al Dibab, West Kordofan State, on Sunday," said Stephane Dujarric, the spokesman for the UN secretary-general.
"This attack is part of a deeply concerning pattern. We remain alarmed by the relentless drone strikes across the country, as well as the damage they are causing to critical infrastructure. These attacks are taking a devastating toll on communities already struggling with the consequences of more than three years of conflict," said the spokesman.
In Khartoum, three children, aged between two and six, and their father were reportedly killed on Monday, when a drone struck a residential area. In South Darfur state, a drone strike reportedly hit a residential house in the state capital Nyala on Monday, causing civilian casualties and damaging surrounding homes. On Tuesday, in White Nile state, drones reportedly damaged the main power station in the town of Tendalti, Dujarric said.
"We reiterate that civilians and civilian infrastructure must be protected in accordance with international humanitarian law. All parties must take constant care to spare civilians and civilian objects during military operations," said the spokesman.
Dujarric also said the world body condemns a series of drone strikes across the southern border into the Abyei region between Sudan and South Sudan, killing at least 28 civilians at Amiet Market and Todach on Monday, with many more injured and unaccounted for.
He said that the secretary-general's personal envoy, Pekka Haavisto, is in Geneva for the Sixth Consultative Meeting on Enhancing Coordination of Peace Initiatives and Efforts in Sudan, which aims to build a shared understanding of recent developments to find a solution to end the civil war, which has lasted more than three years.
Neither the Sudanese government nor the Rapid Support Forces would be represented at the meeting in Geneva because when the platform and the mechanism were established, it was for mediators to coordinate their actions together, Dujarric added. ■
