AFRICA/SUDAN - War in Sudan continues: use of the air force, including drones, is becoming increasingly important

Khartoum (Agenzia Fides) - According to the latest information from the authorities, 46 people were killed in the crash of a military transport plane in Omdurman, the "sister city" of the Sudanese capital Khartoum. Among the victims is a senior army officer, General Bahr Ahmed Bahr.
The plane crashed yesterday evening, February 25, for reasons that are still unknown. Fighting is raging in and around Khartoum between soldiers of the Sudanese army (Sudan Armed Forces, SAF) and militiamen of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). It cannot therefore be ruled out that the plane was hit by anti-aircraft defenses. Two days ago, the RSF claimed to have shot down another army transport plane near Nyala in South Darfur, but this was not confirmed by the military.
In recent weeks, the army and its affiliated Sudan Shield Forces militias have regained control of Khartoum Bahri and important parts of the East Nile region.
Meanwhile, the army announced that it gained control of the strategically important Soba Bridge three days ago, which should enable the regular army and the Sudan Shield Forces to advance into the center of Khartoum, which is still in the hands of the RSF.
The army is also on the offensive in other parts of the country. With the help of drones acquired from Turkey, the military managed to break the siege of El-Obeid in North Kordofan and deal a heavy blow to the RSF. With the help of precision attacks by Turkish drones, the Sudanese army managed to regain control of important areas occupied by the RSF. However, the latter also uses combat drones. The army said it shot down several enemy drones that were attacking the military airport in Merowe, in northern Sudan, in the early hours of today, February 26. Over the past two months, RSF drones have attacked power plants in the north of the country, including the cities of Ad-Daba and Dongola, which are still not functioning properly due to a lack of spare parts.
On a political level, the signing of a founding charter on February 22 in Nairobi by several armed, political and civil organizations calling for the formation of a "parallel government" in the areas controlled by the RSF has provoked reactions from various Sudanese political parties, who fear a further fragmentation of the country. The repeatedly postponed signing of this agreement in Nairobi (see Fides, 19/2/2025) has led to a serious diplomatic crisis between Kenya and the Sudanese government in Port Sudan, linked to the SAF. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides, 26/2/2025)

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