Sudan: 29 Countries Condemn Attacks On Civilians in Sudan in Joint Ministerial Statement

19 February 2026
Addis Standard (Addis Ababa)

Addis Abeba--A group of 29 countries, including Germany, Canada, Italy, and 26 other countries, has issued a joint ministerial statement condemning continued attacks on civilians, civilian infrastructure, and humanitarian operations in Sudan.

The signatories expressed grave concern over escalating fighting in Darfur and Kordofan, citing drone and aerial strikes affecting displaced civilians, health facilities, aid convoys, and areas near humanitarian compounds. The statement warned that such attacks have caused civilian deaths, disrupted humanitarian access, and destroyed critical relief supplies.

The countries called on both the Rapid Support Forces and the Sudanese Armed Forces to immediately cease hostilities and respect international humanitarian law. They stressed that intentional attacks on humanitarian personnel or obstruction of aid may constitute war crimes.

Last week, the United Nations, the African Union (AU), the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), the League of Arab States, and the European Union, urged Sudan's warring parties to agree to a humanitarian truce ahead of the holy month of Ramadan, warning that continued escalation risks deepening an already catastrophic crisis.

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The joint statement also echoed concerns previously raised by Volker Türk, urging protection of civilians, safe humanitarian access, and accountability for violations amid what it described as one of the world's largest humanitarian crises.

The statement follows the UN's warning that children in Sudan remain at grave risk as violence continues to be "unchecked" after at least 15 children were reportedly killed and 10 others wounded in a drone strike Monday on a displacement camp in Al Sunut in West Kordofan.

Furthermore, the United States, Somalia, and Saudi Arabia have condemned a drone attack attributed to the Rapid Support Forces targeting a World Food Programme aid convoy in North Kordofan, Sudan, that reportedly killed one person and wounded three others.

The condemnation comes amid growing reports of civilian deaths linked to aerial strikes in Sudan. A report by local Sudanese media says the conflict during 2024 and 2025 has shifted markedly toward drone warfare, with attacks expanding across multiple states. Citing data from the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project, the report attributes at least 2,200 deaths to drone strikes since the war began, with roughly 80% occurring in 2025 alone. Field monitoring indicates a rising tempo of attacks, with about 277 drone strikes recorded in 2024, increasing sharply to 472 in 2025, reflecting a growing reliance on drone technology in the conflict.

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