Khartoum: Rhino – The United States condemned the attack carried out by the Sudanese Armed Forces on June 9 using a drone against the strategic Ardamata Bridge in West Darfur State.

The U.S. Department of State noted in a statement today that a number of its humanitarian partners had been relying on this bridge to deliver emergency food and medical supplies to Zalingei and areas further afield in West and Central Darfur.

The statement added: “31.3 million tons of humanitarian aid have already passed through the city of Adre in 2026.”

It continued: “There are no military solutions to this conflict; humanitarian and civilian infrastructure must not be targeted. The warring parties must agree to a humanitarian ceasefire to allow necessary aid to reach millions of Sudanese in need.)

The Ardamata Bridge is the most vital lifeline for El Geneina, the capital of West Darfur State, serving as a major corridor connecting the western part of the city to the eastern part and to the historic Ardamata region. It is the main link for the flow of emergency food and medical supplies destined for the states of Darfur and Kordofan, which cross the border with Chad via the Adre and Al-Tina crossings, and international and local organizations rely entirely on it to reach camps for internally displaced persons and local communities.

Commercial trucks carrying fuel, food, and essential goods pass over the Ardamata Bridge, which prevents price spikes, maintains the stability of local markets and the agricultural season, and facilitates the movement of farmers and the transport of crops, making it a pillar of food security in the state.

The bridge becomes increasingly important as the rainy season approaches and the Kaja Valley floods repeatedly. With heavy rains, alternative and dirt roads turn into muddy, impassable paths, meaning that the destruction or failure of the bridge threatens to completely isolate the city of El Geneina and cut it off from its surroundings.