Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces on Sunday attacked with drones a military airbase that is part of the international airport at the Red Sea city of Port Sudan, the first attack of any kind on the de facto capital since the Sudanese civil war broke out two years ago.
Military spokesman Brig Gen Nabil Abdullah said the suicide drones attacked an ammunition depot, triggering a series of explosions. They also hit a warehouse and several civilian installations he did not specify. There were no casualties, he added.
Videos shared online and shot minutes after the drones struck purported to show a large ball of fire followed by a cloud of dark smoke near the airport's tarmac. The National could not independently verify the authenticity of the footage.
Sunday's attack on the air force's Osman Dukna base in Port Sudan signals a dangerous shift in the course of the war between the RSF and the armed forces. While the use of drones by the RSF will not win territory for the paramilitary, it will have a psychologically disturbing impact on civilians in army-controlled areas and undermine the military's image as the nation's protector.
Port Sudan lies about 650 kilometres from the nearest known RSF positions on the outskirts of Khartoum to the West.
On Saturday, Kassala airport was also targeted by RSF drones, according to witnesses in the city in the eastern region of Sudan.
Officials said flights were temporarily suspended at Port Sudan airport pending a review of the security situation at the site. Already, a Port Sudan-bound flight from Addis Ababa scheduled for Sunday afternoon was cancelled, according to a passenger who spoke to The National. Five domestic flights also scheduled for Sunday were cancelled, said the officials.
Port Sudan has been the de facto capital of Sudan since not long after the RSF overran most of Khartoum in the early days of the war. Army chief Gen Abdel Fattah Al Burhan escaped there following months of being besieged by RSF fighters at the armed troops headquarters in Khartoum.
Port Sudan now is the seat of the military-backed government and is home to the only international airport in areas controlled by the army. It is also used as the main base for foreign diplomats and UN agencies.
The army regained control of Khartoum international airport in March as part of an offensive that rid the city of the RSF, but it remains closed to this day.
The RSF, which has not commented on Sunday's attack, has in recent weeks attacked power stations in army-controlled locations in central and northern Sudan, causing power cuts and raising speculation that the paramilitary might take the fighting to parts of Sudan that had not been touched by the war.
The recent spate of drone attacks followed the RSF's withdrawal from the sprawling, Nile-side capital and appear to make good on pledges by RSF commanders that no place in Sudan would be safe from the paramilitary.
Sudan's civil war, the latest in a series of domestic conflicts to plague Sudan since independence nearly 70 years ago, broke out when months of tension between the army and RSF, led by Gen Mohamed Dagalo, turned into open conflict. Both generals profess to be fighting for Sudan's democracy and prosperity.
The army controls the capital as well as north, east and central Sudan, while the RSF controls most of the vast western Darfur region and parts of Kordofan to the south-west and the south.
The war has left tens of thousands dead and displaced at least 13 million people. About 26 million in Sudan, more than half the population, face acute hunger, with pockets of famine surfacing across the vast, Afro-Arab nation.
The war, according to experts, carries the potential of turning into a regional conflict, drawing in some of Sudan's neighbours, like Chad, South Sudan and Libya.
Al Shafie Ahmed reported from Kampala, Uganda
Essentials
The flights
Etihad and Emirates fly direct from the UAE to Delhi from about Dh950 return including taxes.
The hotels
Double rooms at Tijara Fort-Palace cost from 6,670 rupees (Dh377), including breakfast.
Doubles at Fort Bishangarh cost from 29,030 rupees (Dh1,641), including breakfast. Doubles at Narendra Bhawan cost from 15,360 rupees (Dh869). Doubles at Chanoud Garh cost from 19,840 rupees (Dh1,122), full board. Doubles at Fort Begu cost from 10,000 rupees (Dh565), including breakfast.
The tours
Amar Grover travelled with Wild Frontiers. A tailor-made, nine-day itinerary via New Delhi, with one night in Tijara and two nights in each of the remaining properties, including car/driver, costs from £1,445 (Dh6,968) per person.
The specs
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SPECS
Mini John Cooper Works Clubman and Mini John Cooper Works Countryman
Engine: two-litre 4-cylinder turbo
Transmission: nine-speed automatic
Power: 306hp
Torque: 450Nm
Price: JCW Clubman, Dh220,500; JCW Countryman, Dh225,500
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
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The chef's advice
Troy Payne, head chef at Abu Dhabi’s newest healthy eatery Sanderson’s in Al Seef Resort & Spa, says singles need to change their mindset about how they approach the supermarket.
“They feel like they can’t buy one cucumber,” he says. “But I can walk into a shop – I feed two people at home – and I’ll walk into a shop and I buy one cucumber, I’ll buy one onion.”
Mr Payne asks for the sticker to be placed directly on each item, rather than face the temptation of filling one of the two-kilogram capacity plastic bags on offer.
The chef also advises singletons not get too hung up on “organic”, particularly high-priced varieties that have been flown in from far-flung locales. Local produce is often grown sustainably, and far cheaper, he says.
Isle of Dogs
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Three stars
You Were Never Really Here
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The specs: 2018 Harley-Davidson Fat Boy
Price, base / as tested Dh97,600
Engine 1,745cc Milwaukee-Eight v-twin engine
Transmission Six-speed gearbox
Power 78hp @ 5,250rpm
Torque 145Nm @ 3,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined 5.0L / 100km (estimate)
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
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Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
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Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
TEACHERS' PAY - WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Pay varies significantly depending on the school, its rating and the curriculum. Here's a rough guide as of January 2021:
- top end schools tend to pay Dh16,000-17,000 a month - plus a monthly housing allowance of up to Dh6,000. These tend to be British curriculum schools rated 'outstanding' or 'very good', followed by American schools
- average salary across curriculums and skill levels is about Dh10,000, recruiters say
- it is becoming more common for schools to provide accommodation, sometimes in an apartment block with other teachers, rather than hand teachers a cash housing allowance
- some strong performing schools have cut back on salaries since the pandemic began, sometimes offering Dh16,000 including the housing allowance, which reflects the slump in rental costs, and sheer demand for jobs
- maths and science teachers are most in demand and some schools will pay up to Dh3,000 more than other teachers in recognition of their technical skills
- at the other end of the market, teachers in some Indian schools, where fees are lower and competition among applicants is intense, can be paid as low as Dh3,000 per month
- in Indian schools, it has also become common for teachers to share residential accommodation, living in a block with colleagues
