A cargo plane was bombed Wednesday morning after landing at an airport under the control of Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in western Darfur, according to three eyewitnesses, amid escalating airstrikes by General al-Burhan’s army (SAF).
The strike occurred at Nyala Airport, capital of South Darfur, which has faced repeated SAF bombardment in recent weeks as fighting intensifies between the SAF and the RSF.
Neither side has issued a statement about the latest incident.
“At 5:30 a.m., I saw a cargo plane land,” one resident told AFP. “Thirty minutes later, I heard explosions and saw smoke.” The account was corroborated by two other local witnesses, who said explosions continued across the city for about an hour.
Residents said early last month, another cargo plane reportedly delivering supplies to RSF positions in the city was also bombed upon arrival.
Human Rights Watch (HRW) condemned what it called “indiscriminate” SAF airstrikes on Nyala in recent months, noting dozens of civilian deaths. In February, during a SAF push to retake territory, five bombs dropped on densely populated neighborhoods killed at least 32 people, according to Doctors Without Borders.
“These attacks have killed scores of civilians, destroyed families, and caused fear and displacement,” said HRW’s Jean-Baptiste Gallopin.
The SAF has accused the United Arab Emirates of arming the RSF with advanced drones, including Chinese-made models. Abu Dhabi denies the allegation.
Sudan severed ties with the UAE last month following a string of drone attacks on Port Sudan, the SAF’s wartime capital on the Red Sea.
The RSF, in turn, accuses Egypt of supplying the SAF with weapons and aircraft—a claim Cairo has denied.
Since April 2023, Sudan’s war has killed tens of thousands, displaced over 13 million people, and triggered one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world. The country is now effectively split, with the SAF holding central and northern regions and the RSF controlling most of Darfur and parts of the south.