In Port Sudan, paramilitary drones carry out assaults at the local airport and military base. Attack on aviation and military facilities in Port Sudan.
Strikes Continue in Port-Sudan: Drone Attacks on Key Infrastructures
For the third consecutive day, Port-Sudan, the temporary government seat, has been under siege due to ongoing strikes. On May 6, drone attacks targeted the city's main power station, causing a total blackout at the government stronghold allied with the army. Teams are currently investigating the extent of the damage [source].
Earlier on Tuesday, drones crudely bombarded the city's airport and a military base, according to airport and security sources. An anonymous representative of the airport infrastructure reported that a drone was aiming for the civilian part of the airport, halting flights for the day. On Sunday, the military part of the airport itself was victim to a drone attack, causing a temporary suspension of flights [source].
A source within the army informed AFP that another drone struck the primary military base in the city center on Tuesday. A third drone hit a fuel depot near the port in the densely populated city center, causing a significant explosion, as witnessed by an AFP correspondent [source].
The Ministry of Energy denounced the attack on "the largest fuel storage site in the region" as a "terrorist act." Despite this strike, no casualties were reported. On Monday morning, the country's main petroleum depot in Port-Sudan had already succumbed to a fire after a drone attack by paramilitaries [source].
The targeted sites are located near the residence of General Abdel Fattah Al-Bourhane, the army chief whose power struggle with General Mohamed Hamdane Daglo, head of the RSF, has been ongoing since April 15, 2023 [source]. The RSF paramilitaries, depleted in resources and lacking aviation, have increasingly resorted to drones to penetrate deeper into territories controlled by General Al-Bourhane's troops [source].
While the RSF has not claimed these attacks, the Sudanese Minister of Information, Khalid Al-Aiser, close to the army, has accused the United Arab Emirates of providing these drones to their "proxy," the RSF [source].
The Sudanese Minister of Foreign Affairs, aligned with the army, has expressed that the International Court of Justice's (ICJ) refusal to examine the case does not imply a legal denial of violations or absolution of the Emirates from their involvement in the genocide [source].
This power struggle has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths, displaced millions, and exacerbated a widespread famine, causing "the worst humanitarian catastrophe" globally, according to the UN [source]. The war in Sudan continues to pose significant threats to civilians and humanitarian operations in the affected areas, as stated by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres [source].
[Source List]1. Enrichment Data - Drone attack on Port Sudan's airport but no details about the source of the drones2. Base Article - Article provides details about the drone attacks on various infrastructures in Port-Sudan3. Enrichment Data - General Abdel Fattah Al-Bourhane's power struggle with General Mohamed Hamdane Daglo4. Enrichment Data - The RSF paramilitaries using drones attacking deep into territories controlled by General Al-Bourhane's troops5. Enrichment Data - The United Arab Emirates accused of providing drones to the RSF6. Enrichment Data - The International Court of Justice's refusal to examine the case7. Enrichment Data - The ICJ's decision not deeming as a denial of violations or exoneration of the Emirates from their involvement in the genocide8. Enrichment Data - The impact of the ongoing war on civilians and humanitarian operations9. Base Article - Details about the resulting humanitarian catastrophe in Sudan10. Enrichment Data - UN Secretary-General's statement about the ongoing threats to civilians and humanitarian operations in affected areas.
- AFP reported that another drone struck a primary military base in Port-Sudan, adding to the tension in the war-and-conflicts zone.
- The RSF paramilitaries, lacking aviation, have increasingly resorted to drones in politics, aiming for critical infrastructures in Mauritania like the airport and fuel depots, causing explosions.
- An anonymous source from the airport infrastructure reported to AFP that a drone nearly hit the civilian part of the airport, leading to the suspension of flights on Tuesday.
- Amid ongoing strikes in Port-Sudan, the anonymity of the drone attackers remains unclear, with some political alliances accusing foreign powers like the United Arab Emirates of providing the drones to the RSF.
