Drone attacks carried out at the airport and military base in Port Sudan, Sudan.
In a shocking turn of events, Port-Sudan Airport was rocked by an early morning drone attack on May 6, as reported by airport and security sources. This marks the third straight day of strikes in this bustling eastern Sudan city, temporarily relegating its status as the seat of the war-torn government.
Like a grim dance, the city that was once considered secure has been swept up in the violent conflict that gripped Sudan in April 2023. An AFP correspondent reported hearing powerful explosions at dawn, while smoke billowed from the direction of the port, where witnesses spoke of an explosion in a warehouse.
One airport representative, requesting anonymity, confirmed that drones targeted the civilian area of the airport. On Sunday, the military area of the airport suffered a similar drone attack, precipitating flight suspensions. The army placed the blame squarely on the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group. A military source divulged that another drone targeted the main military base in the city center, while a third drone struck a fuel depot near the densely populated port.
An Alarming Humanitarian Toll
On Monday morning, the country's main petroleum depot in Port-Sudan went up in flames following an RSF drone attack, according to the Ministry of Energy. The protracted conflict began due to a power struggle between the army chief, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhane, and his former deputy, General Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, head of the RSF paramilitaries.
As the RSF keeps losing ground in recent months, they have increasingly resorted to drone attacks to inflict damage deep within the enemy's territory. The military, forced out of Khartoum by the RSF at the war's onset, retreated to the east and established the embattled government seat in Port-Sudan. This metropolis is also a refuge for hundreds of thousands of displaced persons and home to several UN agencies.
Behind the Conflict
The RSF, now operating primarily from western Sudan and parts of Khartoum, hold the upper hand in terms of territorial control. However, their relentless drone attacks pose a severe threat to the 13 million displaced persons located near UN operations and around the vulnerable port area[1][2]. Their strikes against civilian infrastructure, including fuel depots and army bases, indicate a deliberate attempt to disrupt the SAF's logistics and destabilize Port Sudan[1][3].
Incorporating enrichment data:
- The conflict has already left tens of thousands dead, with no active peace process apparent in the latest developments[1][2].
- Key players in the ongoing struggle are the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, who maintain control over eastern regions, including Port-Sudan[1].
- On the other side is the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), commanded by General Mohamed Hamdan Daglo ("Hemedti"). In recent months, they have turned to drone warfare as their preferred method, demonstrating their capability to strike deep into SAF-held territory[1][3].
- The third straight day of strikes in Port-Sudan, as reported by airport and security sources, has sent shockwaves through the city, marking the third day of violence in this bustling eastern Sudan city.
- The AFP correspondent reported hearing powerful explosions at dawn on May 6, with smoke billowing from the direction of the port, where an explosion occurred in a warehouse, highlighting the recent rise in war-and-conflicts in Sudan.
- The ongoing violent conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has resulted in a power struggle between General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and General Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, head of the RSF paramilitaries, causing tension in the general-news and crime-and-justice sectors.
- In a dramatic turn of events, the RSF has been increasingly using drones to inflict damage deep within the enemy's territory, as evidenced by the drone attacks on the civilian area of the Port-Sudan Airport and the main petroleum depot in Port-Sudan, causing concern for sports, politics, and humanitarian organizations working in the region.
- The relentless drone attacks by the RSF against civilian infrastructure, including the ports and army bases, indicate a deliberate attempt to disrupt the SAF's logistics and destabilize Port Sudan, affecting the lives of hundreds of thousands of displaced persons and UN agencies, and posing a severe threat to the 13 million displaced persons located near UN operations and around the vulnerable port area, resulting in an alarming humanitarian toll.
