Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces paramilitary group launched an unprecedented wave of drone strikes across multiple cities on August 12, hitting El Obeid, Atbara, Bahri, El Damer, and Khartoum in what witnesses described as the most coordinated RSF aerial assault since the civil war began in April 2023.
The attacks killed at least two people in El Obeid and injured multiple others across the targeted cities, according to Reuters. The strikes on Atbara and Khartoum marked the first time RSF-backed drones had attacked those cities since May, signaling a significant escalation in the paramilitary’s offensive capabilities.
Blue Nile Front Opens
In a separate development on August 13, the RSF claimed a key victory in Sudan’s Blue Nile region, with forces allied to the paramilitary seizing the border town of Geissan after fierce clashes. At least 20 civilians were reported killed in the fighting, according to Sudan Tribune. The RSF advance into Blue Nile State opens a new front in a war that has already displaced more than 14 million people.
The offensive represents a dramatic shift in RSF strategy. After losing control of Khartoum to the Sudanese Armed Forces earlier in the conflict, the paramilitary has increasingly turned to drone warfare to project power across vast distances, striking targets far from its strongholds in Darfur and western Sudan.
Aid Lifeline Under Threat
The attacks on Port Sudan and Atbara are particularly concerning for humanitarian operations. Port Sudan has served as the primary gateway for international aid since the war began, with the city’s port and the country’s only functional international airport handling the bulk of food and medical supplies. The World Food Programme has warned that famine currently affects 10 regions of the country, with 17 more at risk.
The conflict has created one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises. Since April 2023, fighting between the SAF, led by General Burhan, and the RSF, commanded by Hemedti, has killed tens of thousands of people and left entire cities in ruins. The RSF has been widely accused of genocide, mass killings, and sexual violence against non-Arab ethnic groups in Darfur.
Emergency Surgery Centre Opens
Against this backdrop, the Italian humanitarian organization EMERGENCY opened a Centre for Emergency and Trauma Surgery in Khartoum on August 17. The new facility, established within the existing Salam Centre cardiac surgery complex, has already treated 77 patients, 44 of whom had war wounds.
“We know Sudan well, having worked here for 20 years,” said Rossella Miccio, President of EMERGENCY. “As the war has continued, needs have increased, and that is why we decided to expand our activities.” The centre includes two operating theatres, an observation ward, an emergency room, and a sub-intensive care unit.
Sources: Reuters; CFR Global Conflict Tracker; Sudan Tribune; EMERGENCY NGO; Le Monde
discussion