Sudan’s General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti, warned that any aircraft supporting General Abdel Fattah al Burhan’s army would be considered legitimate RSF targets.
Hemedti specifically referenced airports in neighboring regions, signaling the conflict could spill beyond Sudan’s borders into the wider region.
Drone attacks form part of the RSF’s broader strategy to disrupt Burhan’s army operations and weaken governance in contested regions.
The RSF possesses one-way attack drones with a 2,000-kilometer range, allowing strikes on strategic locations including Port Sudan, analysts report.
Hemedti’s warning follows satellite images reportedly showing an Iranian-linked aircraft at Eritrea’s Massawa Airport, raising fears of external involvement and escalation.
UN and African Union mediators have struggled to negotiate peace as regional powers fuel tensions on both sides of the battlefield.
The conflict has claimed over 20,000 lives and displaced more than 10 million people, according to the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project.
