The Economics of Carnage: Drones and Death in Sudan’s Oil Heartland
A brutal attack on a funeral procession in el-Obeid reveals the stark reality of a war fought over resources, not ideals.
The grim reality of modern warfare is that not even the dead are granted peace. In the Sudanese city of el-Obeid, mourning has become a fatal enterprise. Drones rained down on a cemetery funeral procession, claiming four lives. This was merely the climax of a broader aerial assault that began on Wednesday evening, bringing the total death toll to at least 23. Rights groups, specifically the Sudan Doctors Network and Emergency Lawyers, point the finger at the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces. The RSF itself remains predictably silent on the matter.
The ordnance did not discriminate. Beyond the cemetery, drones struck residential neighborhoods, the airport district, and the perimeter of an army base. Thirteen civilians perished while inspecting the ruins of their neighbors' homes, adding to five casualties from earlier attacks. Even the basic logistics of survival are under fire; a lorry driver hauling food supplies met the same fate when his vehicle was targeted. Local accounts describe a scene of total devastation, with roofs caving in on occupants and leaving no chance of survival.
Why el-Obeid? The answer, as is almost always the case, is resources. The city sits squarely in the oil-rich Kordofan region, acting as the geographic linchpin between the RSF-dominated west and the army-controlled east. To hold el-Obeid is to hold the keys to Sudan's oil supply, and by extension, the economic viability of whatever regime eventually emerges from the rubble. The Sudanese Armed Forces currently occupy the city, making it a prime target for their paramilitary rivals who are eager to disrupt the army's resource monopoly.
This three-year civil war, sparked by a predictable falling out between rival military elites over the country's direction, has reduced a nation to a mere battleground for warlords. The human cost is staggering, with an estimated 50,000 dead, 11 million displaced, and 28 million pushed to the brink of starvation. Yet, these figures are treated as mere collateral damage in a violent dispute over energy assets. When funeral processions and food convoys are systematically targeted, the concept of a functional state has entirely evaporated. What remains is a ruthless scramble for capital, paid for entirely in civilian blood.
Written by Andreas Hofer andreas.hofer@alpineweekly.com