Sudan army denies deadly Eid strike on key hospital in Darfur

Sudan's army has denied it carried out a deadly attack on a major hospital on Friday night in a city in the west of the country held by its rivals, the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

The head of the World Health Organization (WHO) said that 64 people - including 13 children, two nurses and a doctor - had died in the strike on el-Daein Teaching Hospital and 89 others had been wounded.

"Enough blood has been spilled," Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus posted on X, urging the warring parties to end the conflict, which started nearly three years ago.

The RSF said an army drone had hit the hospital in el-Daein, the capital of East Darfur state, on the day Muslims were marking the festival of Eid.

Sudan was plunged into a civil war in April 2023 when a vicious struggle for power broke out between the military and the RSF, who had once been allies after coming to power in a coup in 2021.

More than 150,000 people have since died in the conflict and about 12 million have fled their homes - nearly a third of the country's population - in what the United Nations has called the world's largest humanitarian crisis.

Dr Tedros, who said el-Daein Teaching Hospital was no longer able to function following Friday night's attack, condemned the frequent targeting of medical facilities.

"Over the nearly three-year conflict, WHO has confirmed that 2,036 people have been killed in 213 attacks on health care, including Friday night's strike," the WHO chief said in his tweet.

"The time has come to de-escalate the conflict in Sudan and ensure the protection of civilians, health workers, and humanitarians," he said.

"Health care should never be a target. Peace is the best medicine."

In a statement, the RSF said the strike had completely destroyed the hospital's top floor, caused extensive damage to the accident and emergency department and destroyed vital medical equipment.

In response, the military said it was surprised by the accusation it was behind the attack, adding that it abided by "international norms and laws".

The Emergency Lawyers group has called for an independent and transparent investigation and for those responsible to be brought to justice.

The local rights organisation, which has documented atrocities by both the army and the RSF throughout the war, said the hospital in el-Daein was a vital health facility relied upon by thousands of civilians in the city and surrounding villages.

East Darfur borders the Kordofan region, a new front line in the war where there are near-daily drone strikes.

The area is a major corridor linking the western Darfur region, which is controlled by the RSF, to the capital, Khartoum, which was retaken by the army last year.

No end is in sight to bring a stop to the fighting, now considered one of the deadliest conflicts in Africa for civilians - despite US-led peace efforts.

Across the country there were muted celebrations this year for Eid-al-Fitr, when Muslims around the world mark the end of the holy fasting month of Ramadan.