SAF drone strike hit the Adré border crossing with Chad on Friday, a move that has drawn strong condemnation from the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which warned the attack represents a direct threat to humanitarian operations, according to media. The strike targeted one of the few remaining lifelines for civilians in West Darfur, prompting renewed concerns that the SAF is widening the conflict in ways that disproportionately harm civilians.
The attack comes only weeks after Chadian authorities reopened the crossing on 10 November, following a twelve day shutdown that had already caused severe market disruption. The reopening immediately restored the flow of food supplies, commercial goods and fuel, easing the inflation and shortages that had intensified during the closure. Traders reported that cross-border trade had stabilised, allowing markets in West Darfur to recover from a period of acute scarcity.
Local traders said that goods entering through Adré had helped bring down prices that had soared during the closure, as the crossing serves as the main corridor for West Darfur’s imports. The improved flow of supplies also strengthened the Sudanese pound slightly, with one thousand CFA francs falling to 25,000 Sudanese pounds, down from 27,000 during the shutdown, according to market sources quoted by media.
Tijani Al-Tahir Kershoum, head of the RSF’s civilian administration in West Darfur, said the Adré crossing is the principal supply line for communities across Darfur and Kordofan. He argued that the SAF’s decision to target such a strategic humanitarian artery amounts to an escalation with direct consequences for civilians, who already face shortages and soaring prices. He noted that Sudan and Chad have formed a twenty-member joint committee to manage border issues, stressing the need for stability rather than military provocation.
The Adré crossing is the central entry point for food, commercial goods and humanitarian aid delivered by international organisations and UN agencies into Sudan. Observers warn that striking such a critical route risks worsening an already dire humanitarian situation in West Darfur, where hundreds of thousands rely on continuous aid flows for basic survival. The SAF attack, they say, further undermines efforts to protect civilians and maintain humanitarian access in a region already devastated by war.
