Tuesday, September 29, 2026
📍 From the Field In El Obeid, capital of North Kordofan, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) warned on Monday that drone strikes between Thursday and Sunday targeted an electricity substation and a fuel station, forcing medical facilities — including dialysis centres and emergency departments — to close, and putting water stations out of operation, with strikes targeting two bridges south of Umm Rawaba and Al-Rahad on Sunday (OCHA via Eastleigh Voice). The Sudan Doctors Network reported that 7 people were killed and 22 others injured on Saturday in an attack by suicide drones on residential neighbourhoods in the city (Sudan Doctors Network). In a UN update today, two displaced people were killed and seven injured in Friday's strikes, with strikes and clashes documented between Wednesday and Saturday in Tana, Al-Kuwaiti, Al-Jamama, Bara, Sodari and Al-Mazroub (OCHA via APO Group). In South Darfur, the Yale Humanitarian Research Lab revealed satellite images showing 43 drones and 36 launch platforms near Nyala airport by late September — not visible in images from September 26 — considering them a "sign of an imminent attack" (Yale Lab via Eastleigh Voice).
1️⃣ Mozambique crushes the Jediane Falcons by four The Sudan national team lost 1-4 to hosts Mozambique in the second round of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers at the Do Zimpeto Stadium in Maputo; Witi (24), Chamito (46 and 62) and Guima (58) scored for Mozambique, and Hamid (88 from a penalty kick) for Sudan, causing the team to lose the lead of Group Ten, which it had topped with three points after the 1-0 win over Ethiopia on September 25, with Mozambique and Senegal — which won 1-0 over Ethiopia in Bahir Dar — sharing the lead with four points. In Juba, the South Sudan national team lost 0-5 to Egypt in Group Two. (Sources: CAF via Group Ten table; Sportradar) 💡 Quick reading: A harsh loss at a difficult time, but the team that plays away from home on neutral grounds because of the war remains the symbol that gathers Sudanese around one flag — and the bet now is on the Senegal match in November to get back on track.
2️⃣ C5 Summit: The revitalized agreement is the "supreme legal instrument" for South Sudan South African President Cyril Ramaphosa chaired today a virtual summit of the African Union High-Level Committee on South Sudan (C5 Plus), with the participation of South Sudan President Salva Kiir and IGAD countries, to assess developments ahead of the elections scheduled for December 22, 2026. Ramaphosa affirmed in his closing remarks that the revitalized agreement for resolving the conflict "remains the supreme legal instrument that all parties must comply with," encouraging inclusive dialogue — following Kiir's dissolution of the transitional government on September 22, the appointment of a caretaker government, and the opening of inter-party dialogue in Juba on September 24. (Sources: South African Presidency; South Sudan Daily Post) 💡 Quick reading: The stability of the South is a direct Sudanese national interest — Juba's security is part of Khartoum's security, and the December elections are a real test of whether the revitalized agreement is a unifying framework or ink on paper.
3️⃣ The drone war escalates in Kordofan and Darfur Satellite images from the Yale Lab reveal the massing of 43 drones and 36 launch platforms near Nyala airport — a "sign of an imminent attack" — while strikes continue on El Obeid: 7 dead and 22 wounded on Saturday in residential neighbourhoods (Sudan Doctors Network), two displaced people killed and 7 wounded on Friday, and the closure of dialysis centres, emergency departments and water stations after strikes from Thursday to Sunday (OCHA). (Sources: Yale Humanitarian Research Lab; Sudan Doctors Network; OCHA) 💡 Quick reading: When drones turn from a battlefield weapon into a tool targeting residential neighbourhoods, dialysis centres and water stations, the battle is no longer over land but over the survival of civilians — and state institutions alone are capable of protecting them and ending this absurdity.
— Editorial Team