During Sudan's civil war, which erupted in April 2023, both sides have increasingly relied on drones, and civilians have borne the brunt of the carnage. The conflict between the Sudanese armed forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary group is an example of war transformed by commercially available, easily concealable unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), or drones. Modular, well-adapted to sanctions evasions and devastatingly effective, drones have killed scores of civilians, crippled infrastructure and plunged Sudanese cities into darkness. In this visual investigation, Al Jazeera examines the history of drone warfare in Sudan, the types of drones used by the warring sides, how they are sourced, where the attacks have occurred and the human toll. The RSF traces its origins to what at the time was a government-linked militia known as the Janjaweed.

The RSF is trying to show that they don't need to reach Port Sudan by land in order to be able to have an impact there,

On May 4, Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) launched a barrage of suicide drones at Port Sudan, the army's de facto wartime capital on the Red Sea. The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) accused foreign actors of supporting the RSF's attacks and even threatened to sever ties with one of its biggest trading partners. The RSF surprised many with the strikes. It had used drones before, but never hit targets as far away as Port Sudan, which used to be a haven, until last week. "The strikes … led to a huge displacement from the city. Many people left Port Sudan," Aza Aera, a local relief worker, told Al Jazeera.

Multiple explosions have been heard and a huge fire seen in Port Sudan, though the exact locations and causes were unclear, as Sudan's civil war rocks the previously quiet city for the third day. Dark plumes of smoke could be seen emerging from the vicinity of the country's main maritime port in the city, where hundreds of thousands of displaced people have sought refuge. Al Jazeera's Hiba Morgan, reporting from the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, said residents in the port city reported that attack drones launched by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) hit a fuel depot and other targets. "According to the residents, they believe that it was drone strikes by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces – once again. They targeted a fuel depot in the city but also around the port and the air base," Morgan said.