Full Breakdown
Sudan’s Drone War: Escalating Civilian Toll
By Drooid · · How we work
The Surge in Drone Strikes
In the fourth year of Sudan’s civil war, both the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have intensified the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Drone attacks now reach residential neighbourhoods such as Imtidad Nasser east of Khartoum and towns across Darfur, Kordofan and the Blue Nile. Recent strikes have killed dozens of civilians, including children, and have disrupted essential services.
Background & Context
The conflict erupted in April 2023 and has already claimed at least 59,000 lives, according to the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED). Approximately 14 million people have been displaced, with 4.5 million fleeing the country. Earlier atrocities, such as the 2022 massacre in el-Fasher described by Amnesty International as “ethnic cleansing,” set a precedent for large-scale violence against civilians.
Data & Statistics
- More than 160 civilians have been killed in recent days by drone strikes.
- An attack near a market in al-Dabba town (West Kordofan) killed 80 people.
- An army drone strike on Nyala killed 17 people; a separate RSF strike on displaced persons in the Blue Nile province killed 41.
- A drone strike on Ed Daein (East Darfur) killed 19 civilians and injured 21.
- Four children and one adult were killed in two eastern Khartoum locations.
- The Centre for Information Resilience identified 21 distinct drone models used since the war began, sourced mainly from Belarus, Iran, China, Russia, Sudan and Turkiye. The RSF has deployed 10 models; the SAF has used five.
Official Statements & Responses
- He linked the RSF’s recent drone attacks on Khartoum to SAF strikes that killed about 80 RSF personnel in the Al-Dabbab area.
- The United Nations, through its spokesperson, expressed alarm over the civilian impact of the drone campaign.
Criticism & Opposition
Human-rights groups and local alliances have warned that the expanding drone campaign deepens the humanitarian crisis. The Sudan Founding Alliance urged urgent international intervention, demanding a halt to attacks that endanger civilians in Darfur, Kordofan and the Blue Nile, as well as the provision of medical aid and safe humanitarian corridors.
Verbatim Quotes
- “We heard the buzz of drones in the sky, but did not pay attention to it at first,” — Ahmed Abdel Hamid, resident of Imtidad Nasser
- “We are alarmed by the continued deadly drone strikes across the country that are killing civilians, including children, and that are disrupting central services,” — Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson for the UN secretary-general
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
- Casualty figures vary: the al-Dabba market attack is reported as killing 80 people, while other sources cite “more than 160” deaths across recent drone strikes without a consolidated total.
- The SAF claims its drones target only military logistics, whereas the RSF and the Sudan Founding Alliance allege deliberate attacks on civilian infrastructure such as markets and fuel stations. Independent verification of specific target locations remains limited.
- Precise numbers for the Nyala strike on Monday are not disclosed, with reports confirming deaths but not the total count of injured.
The proliferation of UAVs in Sudan’s conflict has turned the battlefield into a lethal aerial arena, leaving civilians with little protection from the sky. Ongoing monitoring, verification of target legitimacy, and accountability for civilian harm are essential to mitigate the growing humanitarian emergency.