Drones have been widely used in Sudan's two-year-old civil war from the outset, but a wave of drone attacks by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces targeting the country's wartime capital has taken their use to a new and dangerous level, according to analysts.
They said drone attacks by the RSF on Port Sudan and cities to the north and south of the capital Khartoum have left most of the Afro-Arab nation without power after they targeted major fuel storage sites, hydroelectric power stations and major transformers.
“They have succeeded in disrupting life in army-held areas, creating fuel shortages and causing very long power outages in many areas,” said Sudanese analyst Osman Al Mirghani.
The targets, which also included military bases and the city's international airport, might have been chiefly selected to distract the army – the RSF's war enemy – from taking the fight to the paramilitary's strongholds in western and southwestern Sudan after it has recently thrown it out of the capital Khartoum and the central region.
Other objectives, they said, were psychological, though not less significant than the material damage they caused.
The attacks, they explained, shattered the sense of security felt by army chief Gen Abdel Fattah Al Burhan and his top officers in Port Sudan and went some way in devaluing the significance of their recent battlefield gains.
Additionally, they said, the attacks discredited Gen Al Burhan in the public eye for his perceived failure to protect areas under army control and to project the paramilitary's strength after its defeat in Khartoum.
“They reflect the Rapid Support Forces' despair after its recent losses and may also be designed to delay or disrupt the army's preparation to take the fight to the West,” Mr Al Mirghani told The National.
In recent weeks, the RSF used drones to attack key sites in Port Sudan, Kassala and Kosti in the south and Atbara and Mroue in the north. There have also been attacks on sites west of Port Sudan in the nation's eastern region.
The attacks, occurring daily since May 4, have targeted army-held parts of Sudan that had not been touched by the war.
Besides being the wartime capital since Khartoum was overrun by the RSF in the war's early days, the city is home to the military-backed government, diplomatic missions and hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians. It's also the hub for UN and other relief agencies working to feed millions of hungry Sudanese.
The UN, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the EU have all condemned the attacks.
Authorities in Port Sudan, perhaps aware of the demoralising effect of images circulating online of burning fuel tanks, banned regional and international news teams from filming on the streets of the city.
There have also been reports that thousands of residents, including displaced Sudanese, have left Port Sudan in the past week in search of safety elsewhere.
Gen Al Burhan addressed the nation last week in the wake of the attacks. In military fatigues, he spoke while standing with a huge fuel tank fire raging in the background. The attacks, he said, would only strengthen the will of the Sudanese people and vowed to fight on until the RSF is defeated.
But the comforting words of the general may do little to assuage growing concern that the war has steadily chipped away at Sudan's core infrastructure or, some would say, the very foundations of the nation.
“The state, as represented by its infrastructure and basic vestiges, are disappearing,” said Sudanese commentator Mohammed Lateef, citing the large-scale damage to state facilities in virtually every part of the country touched by the war.
“At the end, these are Sudan's losses. The people of Sudan deserve better and don't deserve all this destruction.”
The drone attacks have come at a time of a near-total lull in ground operations since late March when the army drove the RSF out of the capital. The turn to the use of long-range drones rather than initiate ground operations, may be prompted in part by the RSF's heavy manpower losses on the battlefield.
But they may also reflect the paramilitary's recent procurement of new drones, said Mr Al Mirghani.
The analysts name the Chinese-made drone Wing Loong II as the most likely type used by the RSF in the latest attacks.
Mr Al Mirghani says these drones are available on the world market for anyone willing to pay. Branded as “strategic drones,” they fly quietly at high altitude and strike with a high level of accuracy using air-to-ground missiles.
Smaller "suicide" drones, in contrast, are noisy, fly low and are easy to bring down with anti-aircraft guns.
Widely viewed as a power struggle between Gen Al Burhan and his former ally RSF commander Gen Mohamed Dagalo, the Sudan conflict has killed tens of thousands, displaced about 13 million people and brought acute hunger to about 26 million others.
Khartoum, for example, has suffered extensive infrastructure damage, with the majority of medical centres destroyed, buildings wrecked or badly damaged as well as power stations and education centres.
Both sides, meanwhile are accused of war crimes, with the army blamed for the death of hundreds, maybe thousands, in air strikes and artillery shelling as well as the abuse, killing in some cases, of civilians by allied militias.
The RSF, on the other hand, is accused of ethnic cleansing, extrajudicial killings, looting and sexual assaults.
Global Fungi Facts
• Scientists estimate there could be as many as 3 million fungal species globally
• Only about 160,000 have been officially described leaving around 90% undiscovered
• Fungi account for roughly 90% of Earth's unknown biodiversity
• Forest fungi help tackle climate change, absorbing up to 36% of global fossil fuel emissions annually and storing around 5 billion tonnes of carbon in the planet's topsoil
Fifa Club World Cup quarter-final
Kashima Antlers 3 (Nagaki 49’, Serginho 69’, Abe 84’)
Guadalajara 2 (Zaldivar 03’, Pulido 90')
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Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
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The specs: 2018 Dodge Durango SRT
Price, base / as tested: Dh259,000
Engine: 6.4-litre V8
Power: 475hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque: 640Nm @ 4,300rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 7.7L / 100km
MATCH INFO
Asian Champions League, last 16, first leg:
Al Ain 2 Al Duhail 4
Second leg:
Tuesday, Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium, Doha. Kick off 7.30pm
The biog
Siblings: five brothers and one sister
Education: Bachelors in Political Science at the University of Minnesota
Interests: Swimming, tennis and the gym
Favourite place: UAE
Favourite packet food on the trip: pasta primavera
What he did to pass the time during the trip: listen to audio books
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
Know your camel milk:
Flavour: Similar to goat’s milk, although less pungent. Vaguely sweet with a subtle, salty aftertaste.
Texture: Smooth and creamy, with a slightly thinner consistency than cow’s milk.
Use it: In your morning coffee, to add flavour to homemade ice cream and milk-heavy desserts, smoothies, spiced camel-milk hot chocolate.
Goes well with: chocolate and caramel, saffron, cardamom and cloves. Also works well with honey and dates.
'Worse than a prison sentence'
Marie Byrne, a counsellor who volunteers at the UAE government's mental health crisis helpline, said the ordeal the crew had been through would take time to overcome.
“It was worse than a prison sentence, where at least someone can deal with a set amount of time incarcerated," she said.
“They were living in perpetual mystery as to how their futures would pan out, and what that would be.
“Because of coronavirus, the world is very different now to the one they left, that will also have an impact.
“It will not fully register until they are on dry land. Some have not seen their young children grow up while others will have to rebuild relationships.
“It will be a challenge mentally, and to find other work to support their families as they have been out of circulation for so long. Hopefully they will get the care they need when they get home.”
New Zealand 21 British & Irish Lions 24
New Zealand
Penalties: Barrett (7)
British & Irish Lions
Tries: Faletau, Murray
Penalties: Farrell (4)
Conversions: Farrell
NBA Finals results
Game 1: Warriors 124, Cavaliers 114
Game 2: Warriors 122, Cavaliers 103
Game 3: Cavaliers 102, Warriors 110
Game 4: In Cleveland, Sunday (Monday morning UAE)
The specs
Engine: Long-range single or dual motor with 200kW or 400kW battery
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Max touring range: 620km / 590km
Price: From Dh250,000 (estimated)
Teaching your child to save
Pre-school (three - five years)
You can’t yet talk about investing or borrowing, but introduce a “classic” money bank and start putting gifts and allowances away. When the child wants a specific toy, have them save for it and help them track their progress.
Early childhood (six - eight years)
Replace the money bank with three jars labelled ‘saving’, ‘spending’ and ‘sharing’. Have the child divide their allowance into the three jars each week and explain their choices in splitting their pocket money. A guide could be 25 per cent saving, 50 per cent spending, 25 per cent for charity and gift-giving.
Middle childhood (nine - 11 years)
Open a bank savings account and help your child establish a budget and set a savings goal. Introduce the notion of ‘paying yourself first’ by putting away savings as soon as your allowance is paid.
Young teens (12 - 14 years)
Change your child’s allowance from weekly to monthly and help them pinpoint long-range goals such as a trip, so they can start longer-term saving and find new ways to increase their saving.
Teenage (15 - 18 years)
Discuss mutual expectations about university costs and identify what they can help fund and set goals. Don’t pay for everything, so they can experience the pride of contributing.
Young adulthood (19 - 22 years)
Discuss post-graduation plans and future life goals, quantify expenses such as first apartment, work wardrobe, holidays and help them continue to save towards these goals.
* JP Morgan Private Bank
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Quick pearls of wisdom
Focus on gratitude: And do so deeply, he says. “Think of one to three things a day that you’re grateful for. It needs to be specific, too, don’t just say ‘air.’ Really think about it. If you’re grateful for, say, what your parents have done for you, that will motivate you to do more for the world.”
Know how to fight: Shetty married his wife, Radhi, three years ago (he met her in a meditation class before he went off and became a monk). He says they’ve had to learn to respect each other’s “fighting styles” – he’s a talk it-out-immediately person, while she needs space to think. “When you’re having an argument, remember, it’s not you against each other. It’s both of you against the problem. When you win, they lose. If you’re on a team you have to win together.”
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Going grey? A stylist's advice
If you’re going to go grey, a great style, well-cared for hair (in a sleek, classy style, like a bob), and a young spirit and attitude go a long way, says Maria Dowling, founder of the Maria Dowling Salon in Dubai.
It’s easier to go grey from a lighter colour, so you may want to do that first. And this is the time to try a shorter style, she advises. Then a stylist can introduce highlights, start lightening up the roots, and let it fade out. Once it’s entirely grey, a purple shampoo will prevent yellowing.
“Get professional help – there’s no other way to go around it,” she says. “And don’t just let it grow out because that looks really bad. Put effort into it: properly condition, straighten, get regular trims, make sure it’s glossy.”
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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