Drone strikes on Port Sudan herald ‘new phase’ of Sudan’s civil war
In March of 2025, Sudan’s government forces reclaimed and established control over the capital city of Khartoum. They also held Port Sudan, a key hub for humanitarian groups, government offices, logistics, commerce and trade. After two years of brutal fighting, Sudan seemed to be gaining an upper hand against their primary opponent, the insurgent Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
‘A new phase’
Then, in May, the RSF launched a series of daily drone strikes against targets in Port Sudan – long believed to be a kind of oasis tucked away from Sudan’s battlefield.
Experts say the strikes represent a new phase of Sudan’s war, but that they also expose how battlefields across Africa and around the world are evolving as low-cost drones become increasingly available and widespread.
Involvement of foreign powers
The drones are Chinese-made, and experts say that they were exported to Sudan by the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The UAE denies any official support for the RSF.
The United Nations, along with independent media investigations, have documented consistent shipments of equipment to insurgent RSF forces from the UAE. Amnesty International stated: “The weapons were almost certainly re-exported to Sudan by the UAE.” In response, Sudan cut all diplomatic ties with the UAE.
Survivors of the Port Sudan attacks also said that the UAE played a pivotal role in “every element” of the recent RSF drone attacks.
Accusations of genocide
While both sides have been accused of war crimes, it is only the insurgent RSF forces that stand accused of outright genocide. On January 7, 2025, the United States formally determined that a genocide had occurred, and attributed blame to the RSF forces.
Sudan filed genocide accusations against the United Arab Emirates with the International Court of Justice (ICJ), but the global court dropped that case on May 5 after finding that the court lacked proper jurisdiction to rule on the matter.
By the numbers
Amidst the fighting, chaos and termination of U.S. foreign aid programs, over 25 million Sudanese civilians are now in need of emergency food aid, and more than 11.5 million have been displaced from their homes. As many as 150,000 people have died as a result of the fighting over a two-year period.
Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
