RSF Launches First Drone Strike on Port Sudan in Escalation of Civil War
The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have launched a drone strike on Port Sudan for the first time, signaling a dangerous escalation in Sudan’s two-year civil war. According to the Sudanese army, the attack targeted Osman Digna Air Base, a goods warehouse, and civilian facilities using “suicide drones,” causing limited damage but marking a major shift in the conflict’s geography.
Port Sudan, once considered a safe haven in the war-torn country, has served as the de facto capital for the military-led government since the army lost Khartoum. The airport has now been shut down, and all flights suspended. The RSF has not commented on the incident.
Since war erupted in April 2023 between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (Hemedti), at least 150,000 people have died, with 12 million displaced. The UN calls it the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, with over 30 million in need of aid.
Port Sudan has housed UN agencies, foreign diplomats, and hundreds of thousands of displaced civilians, but Sunday’s strike shattered the relative calm the city once provided. It follows another RSF drone strike on Kassala, about 400km from their nearest known position, illustrating the group’s expanding reach.
The RSF controls much of Darfur and southern Sudan, while the SAF holds the north and eastern Red Sea region. Despite the SAF’s recent symbolic reclaiming of Khartoum’s presidential palace, analysts warn that neither side appears capable of securing full control of the country.
The war stems from a failed transition to civilian rule and deep rivalry between former allies — al-Burhan and Hemedti — over how to integrate the RSF into the national army. International peace efforts have so far failed, and foreign powers continue to funnel arms into both sides, worsening the crisis.
As drone warfare intensifies and safe zones dwindle, Sudan’s conflict is entering a more volatile and unpredictable phase, deepening the humanitarian catastrophe.
