RSF Drone Strikes Target Khartoum Airport

RSF drone strikes hit Khartoum International Airport and a nearby power station, disrupting plans to reopen the airport and underscoring the fragile state of peace in Sudan’s war-torn capital.

Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have launched drone attacks on Khartoum International Airport and a nearby power station, local media reported, just as the airport was preparing to reopen for domestic flights for the first time in nearly 30 months.

Witnesses described at least eight explosions in and around the airport area, sending shockwaves through nearby neighbourhoods. While Sudanese army units reportedly managed to shoot down several drones, others struck their targets, causing significant damage and widespread panic.

Neither the Sudanese Armed Forces nor the RSF have issued official statements regarding the attacks. The strikes appeared to be aimed at disrupting the planned reopening of the airport, a symbolic milestone for a city struggling to regain a semblance of normalcy after years of devastating conflict.

The airport had been closed since April 2023, when fighting erupted between the army and the RSF over control of the country. Since then, the conflict has killed more than 20,000 people and displaced over 14 million, according to United Nations estimates, making it one of the world’s most severe humanitarian crises.

Analysts say the attack underscores the continuing volatility in Sudan’s capital, where both sides have battled for territorial control and legitimacy. Despite periodic announcements of ceasefire negotiations, the war has shown little sign of abating.

With infrastructure in ruins and millions trapped in displacement camps, the RSF’s latest strikes have further dimmed hopes of recovery in Khartoum. For many residents, the planned reopening of the airport had represented a fragile sign of progress—a reminder that peace, however distant, remained possible.

Instead, the drone attacks served as a grim message: in Sudan, the path to peace is still overshadowed by the echoes of war.