The Sudanese Army Claims to Have Stopped RSF Drone Attacks on Two Cities

According to a military officer on Friday, the Sudanese army stopped the opposing paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) group from firing drones on two northeastern Sudanese cities overnight.

Atbara, a city in River Nile province north of the capital, was the target of 15 drones, according to the army official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the issue freely. He affirmed that there were no casualties from the strikes. Residents reported hearing explosions, according to local media sources.

A smaller-scale drone attack that also targeted Omdruman, the sister city of the capital Khartoum, was intercepted by ground defenses, the official continued. The RSF drone attacks occurred one day after the organisation declared its acceptance of a humanitarian ceasefire put forth by the Quad, a US-led mediator group.

Tensions between the two erstwhile allies, who were supposed to supervise a democratic transition following a 2019 rebellion, exploded in 2023, sparking the conflict between the RSF and the military. The World Health Organization estimates that the violence has displaced over 14 million people and killed at least 40,000. Aid organizations assert that the actual death toll may be significantly higher. The World Food Program reports that over 24 million people experience severe food insecurity.

Earlier this week, US adviser for African affairs Massad Boulos stated that the US-led plan for a truce would begin with a three-month humanitarian ceasefire followed by a nine-month political process.

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