A drone attack launched by Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) struck a key military airport in Port Sudan on Sunday, marking the first assault on the eastern city since the country’s civil war erupted in April 2023.
According to Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) spokesperson Nabil Abdullah, multiple “suicide drones” targeted the Osman Digna Air Base, a military goods warehouse, and nearby civilian facilities. Though no injuries were reported, the strike caused what authorities called “limited damage.” The RSF has not issued any statement.
This latest escalation sends shockwaves through a country already in freefall. Port Sudan had remained a rare sanctuary, spared the fighting and airstrikes that have decimated cities like Khartoum and Nyala. Its sudden vulnerability raises fears that no corner of the country is safe anymore.
The drone strike forced the suspension of flights and emergency evacuation of airport passengers. One traveller recounted to AFP: “We were on the way to the plane when we were quickly evacuated and taken out of the terminal.”
Since the SAF lost control of Khartoum early in the conflict, Port Sudan has served as the de facto seat of General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan’s military-led government. The United Nations, international aid agencies, and hundreds of thousands of displaced civilians had relocated there seeking safety.
The two-year civil war between SAF and RSF has claimed at least 150,000 lives and displaced over 12 million people. The UN calls it the world’s worst humanitarian crisis today, with over 30 million people needing urgent aid.
