Landmine tragedy in Sudan: Nine killed in Kordofan explosion amid ongoing civil war

A devastating landmine explosion has claimed the lives of nine people, including three children, in Sudan’s conflict-ridden Kordofan region.

The blast occurred on Sunday as victims were travelling in an auto-rickshaw along a frontline road, underscoring the growing dangers faced by civilians caught in the country’s prolonged civil war.

According to reports from medical personnel on the ground, the victims were riding in a tuk-tuk when the explosion occurred.

“Nine people, three of them children, were killed by a mine explosion while they were in a tuk-tuk,” a medical source at Al-Abbasiya hospital said.

The force of the explosion was catastrophic. Witness Abdelbagi Issa described the horrific aftermath.

“We were walking behind the tuk-tuk along the road to the market when we heard the sound of an explosion,” he said. “People fell to the ground and the tuk-tuk was destroyed.”

The vehicle was reduced to “a metal carcass”, witness Abdelbagi Issa told AFP by phone, highlighting the sheer power of the blast.

A War-Torn Landscape Filled with Hidden Dangers

The tragedy comes amid the ongoing conflict between the Sudanese regular army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which erupted in April 2023. Since the outbreak of fighting, vast areas of the country have become contaminated with landmines and unexploded ordnance, posing lethal risks to civilians long after battles subside.

While it remains unclear whether the explosive device responsible for Sunday’s tragedy was recently planted or dates back to earlier unrest, South Kordofan has endured cycles of violence since 2011.

The accumulation of unexploded munitions over more than a decade has transformed everyday roads into potential death traps.

Kordofan has increasingly become a focal point in the nearly three-year conflict, particularly after RSF forces pushed the army from its last stronghold in neighbouring Darfur late last year. The shift in territorial control has intensified clashes and deepened insecurity in the region.

Sudan’s Deepening Humanitarian Crisis

Since April 2023, Sudan’s civil war has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths and forced approximately 11 million people to flee their homes. Entire communities have been uprooted, with families seeking refuge within Sudan and across neighbouring borders.

The war has effectively divided the nation. The army maintains control over the north, centre and east, while the RSF and allied groups dominate large swathes of the west and parts of the south. This fragmentation has crippled governance, disrupted essential services, and hindered humanitarian access to some of the most vulnerable populations.

Beyond immediate casualties, landmines and unexploded ordnance present a long-term threat. Even if active fighting subsides, communities will face years of clearance operations and rehabilitation efforts before roads, farms, and marketplaces can be considered safe again.