The United States has condemned a General al-Burhan army (SAF) drone strike on the Ardamata Bridge in El Geneina, warning that the attack targeted a vital humanitarian route used to deliver aid into Darfur.
The U.S. State Department’s Bureau of African Affairs said the June 9 strike hit a key crossing relied on by humanitarian partners, including the Sudan Humanitarian Fund, to move food, medicine and other emergency supplies into West and Central Darfur.
“The United States condemns the reported SAF drone attack on June 9th on the key Ardamata bridge,” the bureau said in a statement on X.
The bridge links El Geneina to Zalingei and other parts of Darfur, making it one of the region’s most important crossings for civilians, trade and relief operations from areas near the Chadian border.
Local authorities in West Darfur said the strike caused major damage to the bridge and halted movement across the crossing. They warned that the attack comes as the rainy season approaches, when many roads across Darfur become difficult or impossible to use.
The attack risks further isolating communities already facing hunger, displacement and shortages after more than three years of war. Aid agencies have repeatedly warned that attacks on roads, bridges and humanitarian routes could worsen famine conditions across Sudan.
The strike is part of a wider pattern of drone attacks by Burhan’s SAF on civilian infrastructure, including markets, hospitals, bridges and supply routes, as the SAF junta continues to rely on air power and long-range strikes in areas outside its control.
The SAF has not issued an immediate response to the U.S. condemnation.
