Sudan’s paramilitary RSF launch drone targeting Khartoum airport

Sudanese military forces intercepted and shot down a drone targeting Khartoum International Airport on Monday, according to airport officials. The unmanned aircraft, launched by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), was destroyed by air defense systems before it could reach its intended target.

The attack caused no casualties or damage to airport infrastructure. After a brief suspension, flight operations were set to resume following routine safety inspections, officials said.

This incident marks the latest escalation in Sudan’s devastating civil conflict, which erupted in April 2023 between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the RSF. The drone strike attempt comes just days after a separate RSF drone attack killed at least five civilians riding in a vehicle on Khartoum’s outskirts on Saturday.

A military official, speaking on condition of anonymity due to not being authorized to address the media, claimed the drone was launched from a neighboring country but provided no supporting evidence or additional details about its origin.

The attempted strike represents a concerning development in a capital city that had seen relative stability in recent months. Khartoum, initially the epicenter of fighting when the war began, was recaptured by the army last year and had largely been spared from RSF attacks since then. However, the city has experienced sporadic violence in recent weeks, signaling potential shifts in RSF strategy or capabilities.

Khartoum International Airport’s operations hold significant symbolic and practical importance for Sudan’s embattled government. The airport’s gradual reopening last year marked a critical milestone in efforts to restore normalcy to the capital. In February, the facility celebrated a rare commercial flight landing, only the second since fighting began nearly a year earlier.

The attempted drone attack underscores the fragility of such progress in a nation devastated by prolonged conflict. According to the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data project, an independent monitoring organization, at least 59,000 people have died in the fighting since April 2023. Aid organizations caution this figure likely underestimates the true toll, as many conflict zones remain inaccessible to humanitarian workers and monitors.

Beyond the immediate death toll, the war has created one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises. The United Nations reports approximately 12 million people – nearly a quarter of Sudan’s population – have been displaced by the violence. Many regions now face severe food insecurity, with international agencies confirming famine conditions in parts of the country.

The conflict traces back to tensions between Sudan’s military leadership and the RSF, which had previously cooperated in a 2021 coup that derailed the country’s democratic transition. When disagreements over military integration sparked fighting in April 2023, the capital quickly became a battleground, though combat has since spread throughout the country.

International diplomatic efforts to resolve the crisis have made little headway. Neighboring nations have raised concerns about regional stability as refugee flows continue and armed groups operate across borders. Several peace initiatives, including talks hosted by Saudi Arabia and the United States, have failed to produce lasting ceasefires.

As Sudan approaches the grim milestone of two years of civil war, the attempted drone strike on a civilian airport highlights the conflict’s continued intensity and the challenges facing any path toward peace in the beleaguered nation.