Port Sudan, one of the few previously calm areas in war-torn Sudan, was jolted by explosions and fires early Tuesday as fighting escalated between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a witness told Reuters.
Thick plumes of smoke were seen rising near the country’s main seaport, where hundreds of thousands of displaced people had taken refuge since the war began in April 2023.
A major hotel near the residence of Sudan’s de facto leader, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, was also reportedly hit. Though the exact cause and targets of the attacks remain unclear, the violence marked the third straight day of conflict in the Red Sea city and a significant escalation in a city that had so far avoided direct strikes.
On Sunday, drones struck a military base near Sudan’s only operational international airport. The next day, fuel depots were targeted. Military sources accused the RSF of carrying out both attacks, though the group has not claimed responsibility. These strikes followed reports that the army destroyed RSF aircraft and weapon depots at Nyala airport, an RSF stronghold.
The renewed fighting has drawn condemnation from neighboring Egypt and Saudi Arabia, and concern from the United Nations. Port Sudan had become a critical hub for aid operations, government offices, and diplomatic missions after the capital Khartoum was devastated early in the war.
The civil war erupted from a power struggle between the army and RSF over a transition to civilian rule. The U.N. says more than 12 million people have been displaced and half of Sudan’s population is facing acute hunger.
While the army has regained control over much of central Sudan, the RSF has increasingly resorted to drone attacks, striking infrastructure like power stations in army-held areas. Meanwhile, the army has intensified airstrikes in Darfur, the RSF’s power base, as both sides battle for control of key regions like al-Fashir in North Darfur. Two years into the war, Sudan’s front lines have hardened into separate zones controlled by the rival forces.
