Marking a new and dangerous turn in the Sudanese war, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) struck Port Sudan, Sudan’s temporary capital on the Red Sea, with advanced drones, igniting massive fires that continued to rage for days. This is the first attack of this kind in the war, which entered its third year in April. Intensive use of drones threatens the Sudanese army’s supply routes and undermines its ability to hold and secure areas under its control. As that attack against Port Sudan shows, drones are also being used to target civilian infrastructure, presaging an ever-expanding theatre of war and even higher levels of civilian casualties.
The RSF also targeted Kassala near the Eritrean border, Merowe in the north, Omdurman in the capital Khartoum, Kenana and Kosti in the White Nile State, and Al-Obeid, the capital of North Kordofan. RSF commanders warned that their forces would hit the Sudanese army wherever it was located.
RSF drones also struck Port Sudan Airport, the Osman Digna Air Base, and a warehouse and civilian facilities. These strikes confirm that the RSF has acquired advanced drones and missiles with long-range capabilities that make it possible to fire them from locations beyond the reach of the SNA’s aerial defences. The RSF may also now possess anti-aircraft weapons capable of countering SNA aerial strikes against their positions in Darfur.
These ominous developments come only weeks after the SNA regained control of most of Khartoum, forcing RSF forces to withdraw to Darfur. At the time, the SNA command and its allied forces proclaimed that the end of the war was in sight. They vowed to crush the RSF completely, declaring that negotiations with the insurgents were out of the question. They urged refugees to return to their homes in the reclaimed areas while appealing to international and regional parties to help with reconstruction efforts, and heralded an era of reconciliation and rebuilding to include constitutional amendments and government restructuring. The recent RSF drone offensives shattered the government’s narrative and the hopes it raised.
The offensives extended from areas from which the RSF had been driven out to areas previously beyond its reach, such as the Northern State and the Nile State, not to mention Port Sudan to which the government had moved after the RSF took control of Khartoum nearly two years ago. Port Sudan hosts the SNA headquarters, the main seaport and what has now become Sudan’s main airport. It also shelters large numbers of displaced persons, as well as the facilities and staff of foreign diplomatic missions and various international organisations, all of whom could be at risk if the current re-escalation worsens.
The SNA has attempted to downplay the impact of RSF attacks on Port Sudan, claiming it intercepted enemy drones and eliminated enemy launching platforms. However, eyewitnesses in the coastal Red Sea city reported hearing loud explosions and seeing smoke rising from the airport. Civil aviation authorities suspended all flights to and from Port Sudan.
Condemnations of the escalation by various regional and international parties resounded, along with renewed appeals for an immediate ceasefire and a return to negotiations. Egypt’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in a statement, stressed the need to protect civilian lives and infrastructure, safeguard Sudanese national interests, and preserve Sudan’s stability and territorial integrity. It also denounced actions that would hamper the safe delivery of urgent humanitarian aid and relief to the intended recipients. Calling for an immediate ceasefire, Egypt urged all parties to prioritise rationality and Sudanese national interests by working towards a peaceful solution that meets the people’s aspirations for security and development.
Saudi Arabia also condemned the targeting of vital civilian facilities and infrastructure in Port Sudan and Kassala and called for an immediate end to the war to spare Sudan and its people further suffering and destruction. Riyadh echoed Egypt’s call for a political solution that respects Sudanese sovereignty and prioritises the safety and welfare of civilians.
The African Union expressed concern and dismay over the RSF’s brutal attack on Port Sudan, which up to this point had been relatively unscathed by the ongoing conflict. Underscoring the need to protect civilians and safeguard regional stability, the AU called for an immediate ceasefire and a resumption of inclusive political dialogue under African leadership. It also urged all parties to respect international humanitarian law, to ensure the safe delivery of aid, and to commit to a peaceful resolution of the conflict.
UN Secretary General António Guterres also denounced the RSF airstrikes as a major escalation in the war that could result in even more widespread civilian casualties and greater destruction of infrastructure. He noted that Port Sudan is the main entry point for humanitarian aid and that attacks against it would hinder relief operations while increasing the need for humanitarian aid. He also warned against allowing the conflict to spread into an area that has received so many displaced people from Khartoum and elsewhere.
Condemnations of the escalation and appeals for a ceasefire also rang out from within Sudan. Adam Regal, spokesperson for the General Coordination of Displaced Persons Camps, said that the continued displacement of millions over two decades makes it all the more urgent for all parties to take the necessary steps to end the war. “It is time for the sound of gunfire to give way to the human voice and for the killing machine to stop,” he said.
Khalid Omar Yousif, deputy head of the Sudanese Congress Party, warned that the war, now in its third year, was expanding in scope and severity with every passing day. Those who claimed that the war would be over quickly now admit it will continue to drag on, he said, adding that the only morally defensible stance was to oppose the war and all forms of war crimes.
In another development indicative of the renewed escalation, only days before its attack against Port Said, the RSF seized control of Al-Nuhud in western Sudan. The city had been held by the SNA until this point. However, after two days of fierce fighting, the army was forced to withdraw. After RSF forces entered Nuhud, there were reports of widespread violence and killings. The RSF thus gained full control of what is considered a gateway to other cities in West Kordofan and North Darfur, which the RSF has said would be next on its agenda.
Meanwhile, the RSF has delivered intermittent strikes against the Republican Palace and other central locations as well as in Al-Obeid in North Kordofan. It also continues to besiege SNA forces, allied militias, and civilians in El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur. According to UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk, at least 542 civilians were killed in North Darfur in the past three weeks alone, amid a catastrophic humanitarian deterioration. He added that the real death toll is probably much higher since access to affected areas is limited. He urged the international community to act quickly to stop the bloodshed, stressing that he has personally alerted both RSF and SAF leaders to the catastrophic human rights consequences of the war. “These harrowing consequences are a daily, lived reality for millions of Sudanese. It is well past time for this conflict to stop,” he said.
* A version of this article appears in print in the 15 May, 2025 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly
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