The paramilitary group Rapid Support Forces (RSF), with backing from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), has targeted multiple army-controlled cities in war-ravaged Sudan with drone strikes, leading to significant damage to civilian infrastructure and displacing hundreds of residents.
In the capital of North Kordofan state, El Obeid, where heavy artillery fire and drone strikes have resulted in numerous civilian casualties in recent weeks, the RSF attacked a military medical facility on Thursday, May 15. This incident resulted in the deaths of four patients and left 60 others seriously injured. Additionally, a prior RSF strike on May 10 at the national prison in the same city claimed 21 lives and injured 47 individuals.
Reports have also emerged of RSF assaults on towns far from the immediate conflict zone with the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF). Notable drone strikes have targeted civilian structures in Kassala, Merowe in Northern State, Damazine in Blue Nile, Kosti in White Nile, and Atbara in River Nile State.
“Humanitarian Operations Under Threat”
Port Sudan, the capital of the Red Sea state, endured ten consecutive days of drone strikes that concluded on May 14. These attacks are particularly concerning as Port Sudan serves as the central hub for humanitarian operations within the country.
The city is also home to Sudan’s de facto government, which relocated from the national capital, Khartoum, after much of it fell to RSF control, igniting a civil war in April 2023. Following the SAF’s recapture of most of Khartoum in late March, the RSF commenced daily attacks on Port Sudan at the beginning of this month. Until these strikes began, Port Sudan had largely remained unscathed and had become a refuge for over 500,000 individuals displaced by the conflict.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported that between May 5 and 12, at least 550 families were forced to flee due to the drone strikes on Port Sudan, contributing to the staggering total of 13 million people displaced by this ongoing conflict, which represents the largest displacement crisis globally.
The initial strike occurred on May 4, targeting the Port Sudan International Airport. Clementine Nkweta-Salami, the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Sudan, characterized this infrastructure as “essential for humanitarian operations,” noting its role as the primary entry point for aid workers, medical supplies, and other critical assistance to Sudan.
Subsequent assaults severely damaged various critical civilian infrastructures, including the seaport, fuel depots, and an oil refinery, leading to widespread power outages.
Nkweta-Salami emphasized, “The availability of fuel in Port Sudan is crucial for the distribution of humanitarian supplies to areas across Sudan that are in dire need of aid. Damage to vital infrastructure could also disrupt supply chains and escalate the prices of essential goods, worsening the humanitarian crisis,”
A union leader representing port workers reported that marine traffic has significantly decreased since the onset of these strikes on Port Sudan.
UAE Accused of Supporting RSF’s Attacks
Witness accounts and official sources have claimed that the drones targeting Port Sudan were not launched from RSF-controlled territories within Sudan but originated from bases across the Red Sea to the east.
The Sudanese government believes these attacks were initiated from one of several UAE bases in the Red Sea region, likely from the Bosaso base in Puntland, Somalia, which is protected by Israeli radar systems.
Although the UAE has denied involvement in these attacks, its documented supply of weapons and drones to the RSF has been corroborated by various UN investigations. Furthermore, the UAE’s financial system has facilitated the RSF’s extensive international funding network.
Labeling the RSF drone strikes as terrorist actions and accusing the UAE of being their “regional backer,” Sudan’s government has called on the international community to exert pressure on the UAE to cease weapon supplies, funding, and operational support to the RSF.
US Approves Weapons Sale to UAE Amid Controversy
The Trump administration recently authorized a weapons sale valued at $1.6 billion to the UAE. However, the US State Department had previously concluded, in January, that members of the RSF and allied militias had committed acts of genocide in Sudan.
Former Secretary of State Antony Blinken asserted, “The RSF and its allied militias have systematically executed men and boys, even infants, based on ethnic grounds, and have intentionally targeted women and girls from specific ethnic groups for sexual violence.”
Despite the UN’s arms embargo, it has been claimed that “UAE-supplied weapons have facilitated RSF attacks on civilians and prolonged the conflict.” Representative Gregory Meeks, a senior member of the US House Foreign Affairs Committee, noted that credible reports indicate ongoing UAE support for the RSF, countering their claims of ceased assistance.
Meeks expressed disapproval over Trump’s bypass of the congressional review process regarding this weapons sale and announced on May 13 his intention to introduce Joint Resolutions of Disapproval to block the transaction.
Sudan’s Government Seeks Support from China
Amid these developments, Sudanese Foreign Minister Omer Siddiq met with Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in Beijing on May 14, emphasizing that China is Sudan’s “premier partner and reliable ally.”
“We trust that China, as a friendly nation, will continue to support Sudan in achieving security and stability and will not remain indifferent to threats to national security within Sudan, the region, and globally,” stated Khalid Al-Aiser, Sudan’s Minister of Culture and Information, following a diplomatic visit from Ambassador Zhang Xianghua.
Wang Yi conveyed China’s hope for Sudan to attain peace and stability soon, reaffirming that China would offer assistance within its capacity.