Port Sudan Under a Drone Attack… Smoke from Fires Forces Residents to Flee
Sudan Events – Agencies
The city of Port Sudan, the temporary administrative capital of the country (East), lived through a terrifying and difficult day after a wide-scale attack carried out by drones early on Tuesday, May 4th. The attack targeted several strategic and vital areas in the city, including the city’s airport, a fuel storage facility, a container terminal in the seaport, and the main electricity station, causing a complete power outage and paralyzing the city.
The strikes also hit a hotel near the temporary presidential palace, military bases, and other vital areas, resulting in several fires and causing widespread fear and panic among the residents, who fled their homes near the explosion zones to safer areas. Port Sudan is considered the main gateway for foreign aid into the country.
Al-Burhan: We Will Not Be Intimidated
On Tuesday, Sudan’s Sovereign Council President and Sudanese Army Commander, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, said that the destruction of military and civilian facilities in Port Sudan “will only make us stronger.” He added in a televised address, “The Sudanese people will prevail, and the Rapid Support Forces’ (RSF) attacks will not scare us… We say to those who have attacked the Sudanese people that the time for retribution will come, and the people will triumph in the end.” He emphasized, “The Sudanese people are fighters and warriors. They are not intimidated by calamities, and these actions will not scare them.”
Standing in front of Port Sudan’s port, with thick black smoke rising from a fuel warehouse, Burhan added, “These facilities, which serve civilians, were built by the Sudanese people, and they belong to them. They will rebuild them, and every destruction of civilian or military facilities will only strengthen and unite the people.” He confirmed that the Sudanese Armed Forces, popular resistance, and the joint forces fighting alongside the army are now united against this aggression. He also stated that the Sudanese people “cannot be defeated or broken,” and that they would work together to defeat the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia and its backers. He concluded, “We say to those who have attacked the Sudanese people, the moment for retribution will come.”
Ambrey Company: Drones Attack Port Sudan Port Facilities
The British maritime security company Ambrey confirmed that the strikes included a drone attack on the port facilities in Port Sudan, specifically targeting the container terminal. These strikes were the heaviest since the attack on Port Sudan began on Sunday, marking an increasing role of drones in the conflict.
Fuel Storage Facility Damaged
Sudanese Minister of Energy and Oil, Mohieddin Al-Naim, told satellite channels that the strategic fuel storage, which holds about 120,000 tons of petroleum products, sustained significant damage, with fires still raging until Tuesday evening. He pointed out that Sudan lacks the necessary capabilities to cope with such events. The destruction of fuel facilities and the damage to the airport and port are expected to exacerbate the humanitarian crisis in Sudan, which the UN describes as the worst in the world. The damage will place further strain on aid delivery and affect electricity production and cooking gas supplies.
Port Sudan Airport Director, Yahya Ahmed, told Asharq Al-Awsat that the airport did not suffer significant damage that would disrupt air traffic. He added that efforts are ongoing to resume flights shortly. Local sources reported that black smoke from the fuel storage fires at the airport and port continues to cover the city’s sky, forcing some residents to move to nearby neighborhoods due to health concerns from emissions or fear of shelling.
Fuel Shortages in Port Sudan and Kassala
Port Sudan and Kassala cities in the Red Sea State witnessed significant congestion at fuel stations, with long lines of vehicles waiting to get fuel since early Tuesday. The Ministry of Energy and Oil reassured citizens that fuel supplies were stable and available at all petrol stations. It added in a statement on Facebook that Civil Defense Police were working to extinguish the fires in the fuel storage to prevent them from spreading and causing a disaster. The ministry confirmed that fuel is flowing normally, and there is no cause for concern.
Port Sudan Loses Its Calm
Port Sudan had enjoyed relative calm since the outbreak of the civil war in April 2023 when it became the base for the government allied with the army after the Sudanese Armed Forces lost control of much of the capital, Khartoum, in the early stages of the conflict with the RSF. Hundreds of thousands of displaced people fled to the city, where UN officials and diplomats relocated, making it the main base for humanitarian operations.
Witnesses said that the attack on the electricity station in Port Sudan caused a power outage throughout the city, including at the temporary government headquarters, while army units were deployed around government buildings.
The conflict has witnessed recurring periods of intensity and calm, but it is unlikely that either side will achieve a decisive victory, according to observers of the situation in Sudan. Drone attacks have opened a new front in the conflict, targeting the army’s main stronghold in East Sudan. The army had expelled the RSF from most central Sudan areas in March, where Khartoum is located, and pushed them westward.
Military sources have accused the RSF of carrying out the attacks on Port Sudan since Sunday, although the group has not claimed responsibility for the strikes. The attacks came after a military source said the army had destroyed a plane and weapons storage at the Nyala airport, which is controlled by the RSF in Darfur, their main stronghold.
