Port Sudan Under Siege: The Complexity of Conflict in Sudan

It was early Tuesday morning when the tranquility of Port Sudan shattered. Drones, operated by Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), blitzed critical sites of this Red Sea city. The airport, main port, and a prominent hotel bore the brunt of this assault, as confirmed by military officials.

This was not an isolated event; rather, it marked the second such airborne attack within a week on this once-peaceful city, now serving as a refuge for those escaping a prolonged two-year war. The rhythm of explosions, the crescendo of fires blazing, were no longer alien sounds to the residents.

Could these acts signify an unending cycle of retaliation? Reports from local media painted a vivid picture of loud blasts, with video clips surfacing online depicting smoke billowing ominously over the troubled city. Despite the chaos, no immediate word on casualties or the extent of the damage emerged, leaving the public in trepidation.

Port Sudan, temporarily housing Sudan’s military-allied governance, finds itself as a strategic pawn in this ongoing clash. The paramilitary RSF, with its newfound aerial capabilities, underscores that the struggle for control stretches far beyond Khartoum, rippling across the nation.

“Why so silent?” one might ponder. Even the RSF leaders maintained a haunting silence amidst these events. However, Sudanese military anonymously confirmed the drone strikes. Information Minister Khalid Aleiser, standing amid a landscape of flames and billowing smoke, accused the United Arab Emirates of supplying the RSF with weaponry.

“We will continue our legitimate battle,” declared Aleiser, his resolve as unyielding as the inferno surrounding him.

For the residents of Port Sudan, like Abdel-Rahman al-Nour, the awakening to explosions had become an alarming part of life. “The skies were painted with black smoke,” he recalled, echoing a sentiment shared by Msha’ashir Ahmed, a local journalist, who observed fires still clawing at the port’s southern vicinity well into Tuesday morning.

The repercussions of this assault also spilled into air traffic, with Egypt’s Cairo airport reporting the cancellation of three scheduled flights to Port Sudan. This wasn’t the first disruption; only days earlier, the RSF had incited similar havoc.

Historically a haven amid chaos, Port Sudan transformed into a sanctuary when conflict erupted in Khartoum, a mere 500 miles west. It welcomed swathes of displaced people and humanitarian missions, its shores a beacon amidst the storm.

Yet, revenge fuels this conflict further. Earlier this month, a Sudanese military strike targeted Nyala airport in South Darfur, a strategic base for the RSF. Here, the RSF allegedly receives arms from international allies, sparking reciprocal aggression.

Allegiances run deep in Sudan’s strife. The RSF’s ties with the UAE, accused of supplying drones, contrast sharply with Sudan’s military backing from Egypt. Disputes over these claims persist, casting ominous shadows over diplomatic relations.

April 2023 marked Sudan’s descent into chaos. Tensions, simmering beneath the surface, ignited between military factions, spilling brutal conflict beyond Khartoum. The toll: a staggering 24,000 lives, though, in all likelihood, the number climbs higher with each passing day.

As if numbers could encapsulate loss, imagine 13 million souls displaced, four million seeking refuge beyond borders. What words can convey the human cost when famine emerges, when conflict embodies an unending nightmare?

The sufferings of Sudan extend into the heart of Darfur, where some of the darkest chapters are penned in blood. International observers and the United Nations document appalling atrocities—mass rapes, ethnic killings—brandishing the harsh realities of war crimes, crimes against humanity, inflicted with chilling consistency.

For a region permeated by wars’ scars, questions linger. Will peace find roots amid rage? Can reconciliation outgrow the chasm of vengeance? Or are these stories merely preludes to prolonged agony?

Amidst these complexities, the world watches, waits, and hopes.

Edited By Ali Musa
Axadle Times International–Monitoring