Explosive device showering seaport city with dense black fog; paramilitary group dispatches drones, announces Sudanese authorities.
Unleashing Havoc: Sudan's Paramilitary Launches Drones on Port Sudan
In a shocking turn of events, Sudan's paramilitary forces unleashed drones on the Red Sea city of Port Sudan early Tuesday morning. The assault hit crucial targets, including the airport, the port, and a hotel, according to military officials. This is the second such attack this week on a city that has served as a sanctuary for people fleeing Sudan's two-year war.
The drone barrage left the city in chaos. Explosions echoed through the streets, and fires engulfed the port and the airport. Thick smoke billowed over the area, casting a gloomy pall on this once-thriving city. The authorities have yet to release any information regarding casualties or the extent of the damage.
The attack on Port Sudan, which also serves as an interim seat for Sudan's military-allied government, indicates that the two-year conflict between the military and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) is far from over. The RSF's capacity to threaten each other's territory is a grim reminder of the ongoing conflict.
In the early hours, the RSF drones struck Port Sudan, military officials confided, speaking anonymously due to the sensitivity of the matter. A local resident, Abdel-Rahman al-Nour, awoke to powerful explosions and witnessed fires and plumes of black smoke enveloping the port. Msha'ashir Ahmed, a local journalist living in Port Sudan, reported that fires were still burning in the southern vicinity of the maritime port late Tuesday morning.
The attack seems to have disrupted air traffic at the airport, with three flights bound for Port Sudan being canceled on Tuesday, according to Cairo airport data in neighboring Egypt. The RSF has remained silent on the attack, although it had previously struck Port Sudan on Sunday, causing disruptions in air traffic and targeting a military ammunition warehouse in the city.
Port Sudan served as a safe haven for the displaced during the early stages of the war, about 800 kilometers (500 miles) from the war's epicenter, Khartoum. Many aid missions and U.N. agencies shifted their operations to the city. The latest attack could bring the conflict uncomfortably close to Port Sudan's eastern regions due to the RSF's potential expansion.
The conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the RSF has roots in a power struggle following the 2019 ouster of dictator Omar al-Bashir. After seizing power together in a 2021 coup, tensions over integrating the RSF into the SAF ignited full-scale war in April 2023. Since then, the fighting has resulted in approximately 24,000 deaths, though the true toll may be much higher, and has displaced around 13 million people, forcing four million to seek refuge in neighboring countries. The conflict has been marked by atrocities, including mass rape and ethnically motivated killings that amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity.
The RSF is allied with the United Arab Emirates, which is believed to have provided weapons, including drones, to the paramilitary. The UAE denies the claim. Sudan's military is backed by Egypt and Saudi Arabia. The latest attack on Port Sudan is seen as retaliation after the Sudanese military targeted Nyala airport in South Darfur, which the RSF has transformed into a base and from which it receives arms shipments, including drones.
In the midst of Sudan's ongoing conflict, the capital has not been immune to attacks. The Rudani Airbase, a strategic location in Khartoum, was targeted earlier this week, causing significant damage.
Politicians are increasingly voicing concerns about the pension crisis, as the generals grapple with mounting costs due to the ongoing conflict. The shortcuts keyboard on their electronic devices, meant for quick navigation, now serves as a reminder of the urgent need for a peaceful resolution.
The United Arab Emirirates, an ally of the Rapid Support Forces, has been accused of supplying arms, including drones, leading to increased tension in international general-news outlets. Meanwhile, Sudan's military has found support from neighboring Egypt and Saudi Arabia.
As the paramilitary forces continue their assaults, people are eager for peace initiatives that can cross political divides and end the violence that has plagued the region for two years. One can only hope that diplomatic channels will be used, rather than the destructive power of drones, to pursue a lasting resolution.
