Interception: On 14 March 2025, SAF ground anti-aircraft fire shot down RSF drones in Atbara (Atbara, River Nile).

Supply-chain Risk Briefing: Military Conflict in Atbara, Sudan

1) Summary On March 14, 2025, military engagement occurred in Atbara, River Nile State, Sudan, where the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) shot down a Rapid Support Forces (RSF) drone with anti-aircraft fire. While classified as a low-intensity strategic incident, it indicates the continued expansion of Sudan's civil war.

2) Supply-chain impact

• Atbara is a major junction city along the Nile River in north-central Sudan and a key node in the railway transportation network, potentially disrupting regional logistics flows
• The prolonged Sudan civil war continues to destabilize overland transport routes in the Red Sea-Nile River region, increasing the need to reroute East African logistics networks
• Increased drone usage poses potential security risks to civilian aviation and logistics transportation
• Indirect risks persist to regional agricultural production infrastructure and grain storage facilities

3) Watch points

• Need to track railway operations between Atbara-Khartoum and availability of alternative overland transport routes
• Monitor the impact of RSF's expanding drone tactics and changes in SAF response capabilities on logistics infrastructure
• Observe for additional engagements in the River Nile State area and the level of regional economic activity disruption