Sudanese army airstrike destroys Khartoum oil refinery, RSF says

May 22, 2024 (KHARTOUM) – The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) reported in a statement that the Sudanese army’s air force bombed the Khartoum Petroleum Refinery with barrel bombs late Tuesday night.

According to a statement by RSF spokesman Al-Fatih Qureshi, the military airstrike severely damaged the Al-Gaili Petroleum Refinery.

In a previous statement on May 19, the RSF indicated that the bombings had caused severe damage to the crude oil transmission lines and resulted in the burning and vandalism of several facilities within the refinery.

Activists shared videos depicting flames engulfing the refinery following the bombing.

The Sudanese army has been besieging the RSF, which controls the refinery that it was originally tasked with protecting before the war broke out. Despite cutting off supplies, the army has failed to dislodge the RSF from the refinery.

Unconfirmed reports say the RSF has planted mines around the refinery and has jamming devices to counter drones, leaving the army with no option but air attacks.

The Sudanese army has not yet issued a response to these accusations.

The refinery ceased operations in October 2023 due to the war, but the RSF has continued to rely on it to supply its forces in Khartoum. The war has also halted production at the Balila oil field in West Kordofan State.

The Khartoum Petroleum Refinery is located about 70 kilometres north of the Sudanese capital, Khartoum. It was established in 1997 and is the largest oil refinery in Sudan. It is connected by pipelines to production areas in the southwest of the country and to export ports in Port Sudan on the Red Sea.