Drone strike hits fuel depot near Wad Madani as explosions rock Nyala

Witnesses told AFP that a drone strike hit the Umm Alaila fuel depot near Wad Madani, an army-held city in central Sudan. One witness said the drone struck the depot’s fuel tanks. [1][2][3]

The depot was described by a witness as a major facility supplying several states in central Sudan. The available accounts do not establish the extent of any damage or whether fuel distribution was interrupted. [1][2][3]

Two explosions were also reported in Nyala, the capital of South Darfur state and a stronghold of the Rapid Support Forces, according to witnesses cited by AFP. The excerpts do not identify the cause or damage from those explosions. [1][2][3]

The reported strikes came as army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan vowed to continue the war against the RSF, despite pressure for a ceasefire. Sudan has been fighting since a power struggle between the two sides escalated in April 2023. [1][2][3]

A diplomatic source told AFP that the US visa denial for Burhan was linked to efforts to secure a three-month truce between the army and the RSF. The accounts say Sudan rejected US truce proposals over concerns that the RSF could regroup. [1][3]