The crisis in Sudan has worsened recently when a military transport aircraft, the Ilyushin Il-76 cargo plane, crashed while attempting to land in Port Sudan, a vital Sudanese military base. Upon impact, Sudanese authorities confirmed that, although there was no remaining flight manifest, all aboard the plane perished.
A country already under heavy strain
Reports verify that the Il-76 suffered a mechanical malfunction before executing a touch-and-go landing. Industry specialists had previously cautioned regarding the Sudanese military due to the internal conflict, indicating that air bridges, albeit operational, had suffered from disruption in maintenance. Local authorities have confirmed injuries and casualties, but the details are still unclear and are difficult to substantiate, as both the Rapid Support Force and the Sudanese Armed Forces have contradicting reports.
The crash was not the only incident on the day
The aircraft malfunction was not the only incident of the day. The Heglig oil field, an increasingly vital site to the country, was reported from the besieged base of the Rapid Support Force to have been the target of an air drone strike, purportedly attacking Sudanese troops.
A nation abruptly folded, internally ceasing all functions due to the sudden repair shortages, but externally ceasing due to humanitarian collapse, as the Rapid Support Force’s conflict over the oil field led to a complete breakdown.
Sudan’s aviation sector is feeling the pressure
A nation with enough means was forced into a humanitarian crisis. The Heglig oil field, the aircraft malfunction, and the nation’s ultimate collapse all contributed to the humanitarian crisis.
The IL-76 is known as a very useful and adaptable aircraft that can be used for a variety of things, such as heavy and bulk transports. However, constant maintenance will be required. Due to the current environment in Sudan, maintenance and upkeep on the aircraft have been neglected, causing large amounts of airfield pressure and putting technical teams at their limit. Due to these current conditions, it is reasonable to assume that low maintenance and high demand resulted in the aircraft malfunctioning.
This is not an isolated incident, and it has contributed to the current state of contact accidents that Sudan’s aviation is facing. Sudan has a very high contact accident rate, and it is very concerning due to the current conditions aviation is in.
Humanitarian and diplomatic concerns grow
The accidents also result in the unavailability of the aircraft; thus, the humanitarian situation is only made worse. Millions of Sudanese people are displaced, and structures such as hospitals and clinics, as well as the transportation of people, continue to be in a dire state. Due to the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Force continuing to fail to finalize ground negotiations, the citizens of Sudan are forced to remain stuck.
The contact accident has set the humanitarian situation even further back, and the situation is also concerning for diplomats as well as for humanitarian volunteers due to the contact accidents. There is very little communication on the ground, and therefore, it is very complicated for people on the ground to plan and relay.
As for the current situation in Sudan, and for the aviation accident, it is now apparent that there is a need for some stability and for some of the infrastructure to be left alone.
A more harmonious approach is required to stop further infrastructure losses. Unplanned negotiations on the protection of the infrastructure that is still there, and the more at-risk infrastructure, will be valuable. Peace in the world is unpredictable most of the time. However, for now, Sudan will try to focus on risk reduction. With Sudan in mind, every disruption causes the most difficulty in peace efforts. This also adds to an already fragile situation.
