HRF joins global condemnation of Monday’s drone attack carried out by Sudan’s UAE-backed rebel Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on Khartoum International Airport, while civilian flights and humanitarian aid efforts were in full operation. This attack is a dangerous escalation after months of relative calm in Sudan’s capital.
On Monday, RSF drones struck the airport, a vital humanitarian aid hub, for the first time in seven months. The attack coincided with the arrival of a civilian flight from Cairo, and it caused damage to an administrative annex, the evacuation of airport staff, and flight cancellations. It was the first drone attack on the airport since October 2025, when RSF drone attacks disrupted its delayed reopening two and a half years since its closure amid the outbreak of Sudan’s civil war in April 2023.
Sudan’s military regime has formally accused both Ethiopia and the UAE of direct involvement, presenting what it called conclusive evidence that RSF drones launched since March 1 originated from Ethiopia’s Bahir Dar airport and were supplied by the UAE. Sudan has recalled its ambassador from Ethiopia in protest. While the UAE’s role in arming the RSF is well-documented, recent investigations have unearthed evidence of a secret base for the RSF in Ethiopia. 3ayin.com/en/ethiopia-5-/
A recent Al Jazeera investigation found that civilians have borne the brunt of the escalating use of drone warfare by belligerents in Sudan. The UN has found that nearly 700 civilians have been killed in drone strikes since the start of 2026.
