A series of drone attacks has targeted Port Sudan, a city that has become a refuge for thousands fleeing Sudan’s two-year civil war.
The attacks, blamed on the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) by the military, have caused significant damage and concern for civilians.
The attacks began on Sunday and continued for the third consecutive day, with thick black smoke visible in the city’s skyline.
The international airport and a hotel near the presidential palace were hit, forcing flight cancellations. Witnesses reported that drones targeted the civilian section of the airport and the main army base in the city center.
– A fuel depot near the southern port was also hit, raising fears for the safety of civilians in the densely populated city center.
– A major hotel close to the residence of army chief Gen Abdel Fattah al-Burhan was damaged in the attack.
– The African Union has condemned the attacks, warning of a “dangerous escalation” in the Sudanese civil war and a “direct threat to the lives of civilians, humanitarian access, and regional stability”.
The two-year conflict between the army and the RSF has resulted in thousands of deaths, millions displaced, and a severe humanitarian crisis. Both sides have been accused of war crimes. The RSF has increasingly relied on drones to reclaim lost territories, including the capital Khartoum, which was taken back by the army in March [1].
