Sudan’s fragile eastern stronghold of Port Sudan was rocked on Sunday as the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) carried out a drone strike on a key military facility, marking the first time the conflict has reached the city since the war erupted over two years ago.

According to a statement from the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), multiple drones targeted the Osman Digna Air Base, a military warehouse, and nearby civilian structures in the Red Sea city. The SAF described the attack as involving “suicide drones” and reported minor infrastructural damage but no casualties.

The RSF has not issued a statement regarding the operation.

The attack signals a troubling expansion in the RSF’s reach. Port Sudan has, until now, remained relatively untouched by the violence that has ravaged the rest of the country. The city became the temporary seat of Sudan’s military-led government after Khartoum fell under RSF control in the early months of the war.

“This is the first time Port Sudan has come under direct attack,” said SAF spokesperson Brigadier Nabil Abdullah, noting that the assault could mark a new chapter in the conflict.

The ongoing civil war, which erupted in April 2023 following a breakdown in power-sharing between the army and the RSF, has claimed an estimated 150,000 lives and displaced over 12 million people. The United Nations warns that Sudan now faces the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, with more than 30 million in urgent need of aid and widespread famine looming.

Once a refuge from the conflict, Port Sudan has housed UN agencies, displaced civilians, and the top brass of the SAF, including General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan. Sunday's drone strike shattered that relative calm.

“We were just about to board when security rushed us out,” a witness at the airport told AFP, following the strike that led to the airport’s closure and the suspension of all flights.

Footage circulating online appears to show a fiery blast and plumes of thick black smoke rising above the city, though Wafric News has not independently verified the videos.

As tensions deepen, the latest developments underscore the urgent need for international attention and mediation to prevent further escalation in what is already a catastrophic war.



By WafricNews Desk.