As Sudanese city returns to life after two-year siege, drone threat lingers

Markets reopen in Dilling, South Kordofan’s second largest city. Yet residents face critical medical shortages and persistent aerial attacks.Published On 15 Feb 2026Life is cautiously returning to the streets of Dilling, the second largest city in South Kordofan state, after the Sudanese Army broke a suffocating siege that had isolated the area for more than two years.For months, the city had been encircled by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N), cutting off vital supply lines and trapping civilians in a severe humanitarian crisis.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4Sudan army says two-year RSF siege of key town brokenlist 2 of 4Deadly drone attacks on civilians continue in Sudan’s Kordofan, UN sayslist 3 of 4Two children killed in drone strike on mosque in central Sudan: Doctorslist 4 of 4Sudan protecting Africa from foreign interference in war with RSF, says FMend of listWhile the lifting of the blockade has allowed goods to flow again, local authorities and residents said the city remains under the threat of drone attacks.Al Jazeera Arabic’s Hisham Uweit, reporting from Dilling, described a city “recovering slowly” from the economic strangulation.“For over two years, heavy siege conditions were imposed on the city. Movement disappeared, goods vanished and livelihoods narrowed,” Uweit said.“Now the eyes of buyers pick through the few available goods … as if the market itself is announcing its recovery at a leisurely pace, drawing determination from the patience of its residents.”Markets return to lifeThe immediate impact of the army’s advance is visible in the local markets, which were largely shuttered during the blockade. Fresh produce, absent for months, has begun to reappear in stalls.“The market and vegetables have all returned,” a local trader told Al Jazeera. “Before, the market didn’t exist. Now we have okra, potatoes, sweet potatoes, chillies and lemons. Everything is with us, and the market has returned to normal.”