Kampala, December (Darfur24)
The Rapid Support Forces have started operating a makeshift dirt airstrip in East Darfur State, with cargo planes landing at the site under heavy security, according to local sources.
They told Darfur24 that the RSF rehabilitated the airstrip, which had previously been used by the National Ministry of Agriculture for aircraft involved in agricultural pest control.
Residents said RSF vehicles were seen frequently at the airstrip, located in the Al-Sarj area southwest of Al-Firdous city, south of Al-Daein, the capital of East Darfur State. The area has reportedly been fenced with barbed wire, and access has been restricted within a radius of approximately five kilometers.
Darfur24 was unable to independently verify the purpose of the airstrip’s use. However, eyewitnesses reported the arrival of cargo planes coinciding with the movement of trucks into and out of the site. They also observed the entry of large numbers of sheep and goats into the area.
Multiple local sources said livestock were transported from the western Al-Qouz area, particularly from the Al-Toumat market—the largest livestock market in southern Darfur—with herds moved toward the airstrip ahead of aircraft landings.
Witnesses further reported the movement of large trucks under heavy RSF military escort, with at least four combat vehicles accompanying convoys to the landing site at the time of aircraft arrivals.
According to the sources, between three and five flights per week landed at the airstrip after it first became operational in May 2025. The number of flights reportedly declined over the past two months to two flights per week, typically on Sundays and Thursdays.