RSF drone strike targets Kenana industrial complex in White Nile State
May 3, 2026 (KENANA) – A drone strike, suspected to have been launched by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), targeted the Kenana industrial complex in White Nile State on Sunday, causing significant damage to vital facilities, including the ethanol plant and fuel depots.
The attack is part of an intensified aerial campaign conducted by the RSF since mid-last week. During this period, drone strikes have targeted locations in Kosti, Rabak, and the village of Al-Kahli Zaidan in Al-Jazira State, as well as Gedaref in eastern Sudan and sites in southern Khartoum and Omdurman.
Local sources told Sudan Tribune that an RSF drone directly targeted ethanol production units and nearby fuel tanks within the Kenana Sugar Company complex. The strike ignited massive fires that burned for several hours before civil defence teams managed to bring them under control.
Social media footage circulated by activists showed the bombardment of a fuel station and warehouse in Kenana, with flames and thick smoke rising from the site as fire engines rushed to extinguish the blaze.
The Kenana complex is one of the most significant industrial projects in Sudan and Africa. Established in 1975 through a partnership between the Sudanese government and several countries, including Kuwait, it began actual production in 1984.
Located near the city of Rabak, approximately 250 kilometres south of Khartoum, the complex houses an ethanol plant inaugurated in 2009. The facility has a production capacity of 200,000 litres per day and approximately 65 million litres annually, making it a premier biofuel project on the continent.
The complex and its nearby airbase have previously been subjected to similar drone attacks attributed to the RSF, resulting in extensive damage.
In a related development, Yahya al-Fadil Ibrahim, the Executive Director of the Al-Jabalain locality, visited the city’s hospital to inspect rehabilitation efforts following earlier drone strikes. Ibrahim noted that Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is currently conducting maintenance on the hospital, including the operating room and laboratory.
The Al-Jabalain hospital was previously attacked by drones on April 2, resulting in the deaths of seven people, including two medical staff members, and the destruction of the facility.