Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) launched a second drone strike on Port Sudan early on Tuesday, hitting fuel depots in a significant escalation of the ongoing conflict.
Large plumes of smoke and fire were seen rising from the site, where civil defence teams worked throughout the day to control the blaze.
Sudanese regime sources reported that the RSF targeted the storage facilities at dawn, which are considered vital civilian infrastructure.
Sudan’s Energy Minister Mohiedienn Naiem Mohamed Saied condemned the attack as a “deliberate attempt” to disrupt essential services and destabilize the region. He described it as a “terrorist operation” that targeted basic citizen needs by setting fire to diesel depots and causing flames to spread to nearby fuel tanks.
The RSF has not yet claimed responsibility for the attack, which follows a similar strike on Sunday near Port Sudan Airport. The previous drone assault marked the first time the RSF had reached the Red Sea city, previously a regime stronghold.
The latest escalation in eastern Sudan threatens to destabilize Port Sudan, the country’s key maritime hub, home to the main seaport, airport, and top military command.
The ongoing war between General al-Burhan’s army (SAF) and the RSF, sparked in April 2023 by a dispute over the transition to civilian rule, has displaced over 12 million people and left half the population facing acute hunger, according to the United Nations.
