Drone attacks have battered Port Sudan since Sunday, marking a sharp escalation in the conflict. Until now, the city — which became the temporary capital following the destruction of Khartoum — had remained largely untouched. Port Sudan is now home to hundreds of thousands of internally displaced people, many of whom are sheltering with relatives or in makeshift camps.
Another drone strike targeted Port Sudan on Wednesday morning, according to an army source, marking the fourth straight day the seat of the army-backed government has come under attack.
The drones "were met with anti-aircraft missiles," the source said on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to speak to the media.
A series of explosions were heard in the city, near the Flamingo base, just north of the city, the country’s largest naval base in the wartime capital Port Sudan, followed by a cloud of smoke.
War has raged since April 2023 between Sudan's regular armed forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which the government has called a "proxy" of the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Nationwide, the war has already killed tens of thousands of people in two years and uprooted 13 million.
Port Sudan on the Red Sea coast had until this week been a safe haven for civilians, hosting hundreds of thousands of displaced people and United Nations offices. But on Sunday a first drone strike began, blamed on the RSF.
New front
Drones struck Port Sudan all day on Tuesday, hitting the main port, the city's power station and the country's last functioning international airport.
Witnesses also told AFP they heard explosions from anti-aircraft missiles west of the city, which has also come under repeated attack this week.
The city on the Red Sea coast had become the base for the army-aligned government after the RSF swept through much of the capital Khartoum at the start of the conflict.
These drone strikes on Port Sudan opened a new front, targeting the army's main stronghold in eastern Sudan after it drove the RSF back westwards across much of central Sudan, including Khartoum, in March.
Sudan's RSF, pushed out of Khartoum, says war is not over
Rupture with the UAE
This Wednesday's attack comes a day after the Sudanese authorities cut ties with the UAE, accusing it of supplying weapons used by the RSF to strike Port Sudan and declaring the Gulf country an "aggressor" state.
The UAE has long denied supporting the RSF, despite reports from UN experts, US politicians and international organisations.
But Sudan's army continues to accuse the UAE of supplying both makeshift and highly advanced drones to the RSF.
Sudan's army-aligned information minister, Khalid al-Aiser, on Tuesday pointed the finger at the UAE again, saying it was supplying "its proxy" the RSF.
The International Court of Justice on Monday threw out a case brought by Sudan against the UAE, accusing it of complicity in genocide by supporting the RSF.
The army-aligned foreign ministry said it "respected" the ruling based on the ICJ's lack of jurisdiction, adding that it "cannot legally be interpreted as a denial of the violations".
International Court of Justice throws out Sudan genocide case against UAE
Disruption
The strikes on Port Sudan have raised fears of disruption to humanitarian aid across Sudan, where famine has already been declared in some areas and nearly 25 million people are suffering dire food insecurity.
The city had until last week provided "a haven for artists: musicians, actors, directors, and so on," Mohammed Hassan told RFI's special reporter in Port Sudan, from the Al Shourta School, next to Port Sudan's central market.
UN relief chief Tom Fletcher said he was "very concerned by ongoing drone strikes on Port Sudan, a hub for our humanitarian operations and key entry point for aid".
Nearly all aid into Sudan flows through the port city, which the United Nations has called "a lifeline for humanitarian operations". It has warned of more "human suffering in what is already the world's largest humanitarian crisis".
Podcast: Two years of devastation: Sudan’s war claims thousands and displaces millions
The United States on Tuesday condemned the drone attacks "on critical infrastructure and other civilian targets in Port Sudan and throughout the country". These attacks represent "a dangerous escalation in the Sudan conflict," the State Department said.
Spain also condemned the attacks, calling them a "violation of international law and a threat to peace efforts".
The war has effectively split Sudan in two, with the army controlling the centre, north and east while the RSF holds nearly all of Darfur in the west and parts of the south.
(with newswires)
