Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) launched their second drone strike in just two days on Port Sudan early Monday, targeting key fuel depots in the eastern city, according to security sources cited by Reuters. The attack marks a sharp escalation in the two-year conflict, sending thick black smoke and flames soaring over the facility as firefighting crews worked into the afternoon to control the blaze.
Sudan’s Energy and Petroleum Minister, Mohiedienn Naiem Mohamed Saied, condemned the attack, calling it a calculated effort by the RSF to disrupt daily life and deprive citizens of critical supplies. Security sources described the strike as part of an ongoing “criminal campaign” by the paramilitary group. Speaking from the site, Saied denounced the assault as a “terrorist operation” designed to cripple vital infrastructure and warned that the fires engulfing the fuel storage tanks threatened a broader catastrophe in the densely populated area.
The RSF has not formally claimed responsibility for Monday’s attack, but it comes just a day after the group struck a military base and other sites near Port Sudan Airport—their first incursion into the strategic Red Sea city, long considered a government stronghold and humanitarian lifeline. Fortunately, no casualties were reported from Sunday’s offensive.
The widening of conflict into Sudan’s east raises fears over the fragile stability of Port Sudan, home to the nation’s main port, airport, and military leadership. With its importance as a logistical and economic hub, the city’s disruption could have far-reaching impacts on Sudan’s already battered economy.
Sudan has been engulfed in civil war since April 2023, when a bitter power struggle between the national army and RSF over the country’s transition to civilian rule erupted into violence. The conflict has since displaced over 12 million people and driven nearly half of Sudan’s population into severe food insecurity, according to United Nations estimates.
As the fighting spreads and intensifies, the humanitarian crisis in Sudan deepens, heightening international concern over the fate of civilians caught in the crossfire and the country’s rapidly collapsing infrastructure.