{"id":837596,"date":"2026-10-11T15:40:00","date_gmt":"2026-10-11T19:40:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mereja.com\/index\/?p=837596"},"modified":"2026-10-30T20:23:22","modified_gmt":"2026-10-31T00:23:22","slug":"blue-nile-drone-strike-abu-shandi-governor-says-launched-from-ethiopia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mereja.com\/index\/837596","title":{"rendered":"Sudanese governor says drone that killed displaced civilians in Blue Nile was launched from Ethiopia"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Bodies<\/p>\n

Bodies wrapped in cloth lie on beds as mourners gather, in a photo the Darfur Network for Human Rights shared on X on October 9, 2026, saying it showed victims of the drone strike in the Abu Shandi area of Wad al-Mahi, Blue Nile, Sudan. Mereja Media could not independently verify where or when it was taken. (Photo: Darfur Network for Human Rights via X)<\/em><\/p>\n

A drone strike on Friday killed at least 30 people at a displacement site in Sudan’s Blue Nile, and a local governor told AFP it was launched from inside Ethiopia.<\/p>\n

Mahgoub al-Sheikh, the governor of Wad al-Mahi locality, made the claim to AFP. Sudan has repeatedly accused Ethiopia of hosting Rapid Support Forces fighters and bases, which Ethiopia denies, AFP said. Shahid Evidence, a platform that documents rights evidence, called the claim unverified. Mereja Media found no response from the Ethiopian Government by Sunday afternoon.<\/p>\n

In February, Reuters reported, citing sources and satellite images, that Ethiopia had built a camp near Menge in Benishangul-Gumuz, about 32 kilometers from the border, to train Rapid Support Forces fighters. Yale’s Humanitarian Research Lab later said it could not confirm activity at Menge but reported activity consistent with military assistance to the group at an Ethiopian army base in Asosa.<\/p>\n

The strike hit the Abu Shandi area near a shelter for displaced families, a water point and an informal gold mining site where women work. Tolls vary. Emergency Lawyers now puts the dead at 41, BBC Amharic reported, while the Sudan Doctors Network said 31 were killed and 19 injured. Shahid Evidence said reported figures ranged from 18 to 41, with “at least 30” cited most often. A person who took part in the burials told AFP that survivors “buried 26 women and four children.”<\/p>\n

Blue Nile’s regional government, Emergency Lawyers and the Sudan Doctors Network blamed the Rapid Support Forces, and AFP reported, citing an official and eyewitnesses, that the paramilitary launched the drone. The Tasis alliance, which includes the Rapid Support Forces, blamed an Egyptian drone, according to accounts on X that shared its statement. Mereja Media could not verify either claim.<\/p>\n

The UN humanitarian office said it was “appalled” and that most victims were women and children. The area, held by the Sudanese army, had been attacked repeatedly in recent weeks, it said. AFP said nearly 100,000 people have been displaced across Blue Nile this year as the war moves closer to the Ethiopian border.<\/p>\n

Sources:<\/strong><\/p>\n