In brief
Port Sudan faces unprecedented violence as drone attacks strike key locations, including a fuel depot and hotel. The Rapid Support Forces escalate their operations in the city, raising alarm among civilians who have already suffered due to the civil war.
Large plumes of black smoke filled the skies over Port Sudan, as drone strikes by the Sudanese paramilitary group known as the Rapid Support Forces (R.S.F.) intensified into a third consecutive day. Once a refuge for civilians escaping the brutal civil war, the city now bears the brunt of violence with multiple attacks targeting critical infrastructure, such as the airport and a major fuel depot. On Tuesday, drones struck the fuel depot located near the port and airport, rattling residents and rendering the streets eerily deserted. Despite the chaos, no casualties have been confirmed, and the R.S.F. has notably not claimed responsibility for the recent assaults. Government officials, including Sudan’s minister of information, Khalid Ali Aleisir, condemned the strikes as “criminal and terrorist acts” on social media, assuring the public of their commitment to maintaining safety.Eyewitness accounts detail the attack on the upscale Marina Hotel, a location where diplomats were reportedly housed, highlighting an alarming expansion of violence amidst a humanitarian crisis triggered by ongoing warfare. Mohamed Ahmed, a 40-year-old resident who fled from Khartoum, expressed concern that the destruction of local infrastructure foreshadows deeper turmoil. He remarked, “I will not be displaced for another time,” emphasizing his resolve while contemplating the safety of his family.Port Sudan has drawn thousands of civilians fleeing the ravages of warfare that have reduced its capital, Khartoum, to ruins, with estimates suggesting upwards of 15,000 lives lost and nearly 13 million displaced. Humanitarian efforts, hampered by limited access to conflict zones, utilize Port Sudan as a critical hub for delivering aid.The African Union voiced deep concern over the recent escalation, identifying it as a direct threat to civilian lives and a challenge to regional stability. This shift in the R.S.F. strategy marks a significant and distressing chapter in the protracted conflict gripping the nation.
