Sudan’s RSF Paramilitaries Launch Attack on Port Sudan

Port Sudan: The Sudanese army reported on Sunday that paramilitary forces struck Port Sudan on the Red Sea coast. This marks the first attack on the seat of the army-aligned government in the country's ongoing two-year conflict. Smoke was observed rising from Port Sudan's airport; however, no casualties have been reported. According to France24.com, the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) targeted Osman Digna Air Base, a goods warehouse, and several civilian facilities within Port Sudan using suicide drones. This development was confirmed by army spokesman Nabil Abdullah in an official statement. Port Sudan, which became the government's base after relocating from Khartoum during the early stages of the war, had until now been free from attacks. The city has also become a refuge for UN agencies, their staff, and hundreds of thousands of displaced individuals escaping the ongoing conflict. Since April 2023, Sudan has been engulfed in a brutal conflict between the regular army, led by General Abdel Fatta h al-Burhan, the de facto leader of Sudan, and the RSF, commanded by Mohamed Hamdan Daglo. This war has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths and has displaced approximately 13 million people. The conflict has resulted in a division within Africa's third largest country, with the regular army controlling the central, eastern, and northern regions, while the RSF dominates most of the western region of Darfur and parts of the south. In February, the RSF and its allies signed a charter in Kenya, indicating their intention to establish a rival government to the existing army-aligned administration.