Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) launched a drone attack on a military air base and other facilities near Port Sudan Airport on Sunday, according to a Sudanese army spokesperson. This marks the first RSF attack to reach the eastern port city since the conflict began.
While no casualties were reported, the attack signals a significant escalation in the two-year conflict between the Sudanese army and the RSF. The eastern regions, which have been relatively spared from the fighting and are home to a large population of displaced people, had previously avoided such attacks. The RSF has not yet commented on the incident.
In response, the army has increased its security presence around key facilities in Port Sudan and closed roads leading to the presidential palace and army command.
Port Sudan, which houses the country’s main airport, army headquarters, and a major seaport, has been considered the safest area in Sudan during the war.
In March, the army pushed the RSF out of its remaining positions in Khartoum, the capital. However, the RSF maintains control over areas in Omdurman, across the Nile River from Khartoum, and has strengthened its hold in western Sudan, effectively dividing the country into zones controlled by opposing forces.
The conflict, which began in April 2023 due to a power struggle between the army and the RSF ahead of a planned transition to civilian rule, has triggered widespread ethnic violence and a severe humanitarian crisis. The United Nations describes the situation as the world’s worst, with several areas facing famine. The fighting has devastated Khartoum, displaced over 12 million Sudanese, and left approximately half of the country’s 50 million people facing acute hunger.
Estimates of the total death toll are difficult to obtain, but a study published last year suggested that as many as 61,000 people may have died in Khartoum state alone during the first 14 months of the conflict.
