El Fasher, October 8 (Darfur24)
Eyewitnesses and local sources in North Darfur have reported that the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have begun maintenance and rehabilitation work on several dirt landing strips in Umm Kadada locality, about 178 kilometers southeast of El Fasher.
An eyewitness from Umm Kadada told Darfur24 that a group of foreigners, accompanied by heavy security escorts, conducted a field inspection of the UNAMID airstrip located at the western entrance of the locality, south of the national road linking El Obeid and El Fasher.
The group reportedly cleared trees and weeds, and carried out backfilling and rehabilitation work on the old runway, which had previously been used by the African Union–United Nations Mission in Darfur (UNAMID).
Another source confirmed that the foreign team had also installed unknown towers in several locations, including Jabal Umm Kadada, Jabal Hilla, and the Brosh areas, though the purpose of these installations remains unclear.
A youth leader in North Darfur, who requested anonymity, told Darfur24 that the RSF has also started rehabilitating the airstrip in Gwiyya, a town located approximately 30 kilometers east of Umm Kadada. The same foreign crew inspected the “Donkey Al-Daqandaga” landing strip northwest of Umm Kadada and installed towers in the eastern mountains.
He noted that these airstrips are among the oldest in Darfur, previously used by successive governments and UN agencies to deliver aid and access communities in areas bordering Kordofan.
In September 2024, Darfur24 reported that the RSF had brought in several helicopters and was using the UNAMID airstrip in Nyala as a temporary base. The outlet also verified a video shared by RSF members showing foreigners gathered around a military helicopter in Umm Dafuq, on the border with the Central African Republic. The exact time of the helicopter’s landing or departure could not be confirmed.
Recently, the RSF has resumed operations at Nyala International Airport, which received its first flight on September 21, 2024, after a long hiatus. Since then, flights have continued regularly.