Drone warfare transforms Sudan's civil war into a daily toll on civilians
Force in Play
Drone strikes kill civilians in three states and knock out 15 power stations in ten days, as Ethiopia expels Sudanese diplomats and the UN warns hospitals and water supplies are failing
Drone strikes killed civilians in West Kordofan, South Kordofan and Blue Nile in the first days of November, adding to a toll that includes at least 153 dead at Amiet Market in Abyei on October 19. The October 26 strike on Tanqong Market in Nyala is now put at 188 killed and 356 wounded by the Sudan Founding Alliance's Government of Peace and Unity, figures not independently verified.
Strikes have hit at least 15 power stations in ten days, cutting power and water in Khartoum, Omdurman and towns across the north and east. Sudan filed complaints against Ethiopia at the UN Security Council and African Union over drone launches from its territory, and Ethiopia ordered six Sudanese diplomats to leave on November 4. The UN's humanitarian coordinator in Sudan, Denise Brown, said hospitals have lost dialysis and water supplies and hundreds of aid trucks are stranded by fuel shortages.
Why it matters
Foreign drone sales are turning an African civil war into a testing ground for remote killing, with civilians paying the price daily.
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Key Indicators
188
Killed in Nyala market strike (alliance's revised figure)
The Sudan Founding Alliance's Government of Peace and Unity raised the toll from the October 26 Tanqong Market strike to 188 killed and 356 wounded. The figures are not independently verified; Doctors Without Borders said Nyala Teaching Hospital received 36 bodies.
42
Drone strikes monitored since early October
Ayin, a Sudanese monitoring network, said that as of November 2 it had recorded at least 42 drone strikes across the country since early October, only one of them on a military target. In the ten days to November 2 it counted at least 28 civilian targets, including 15 power stations.
18
Power substations struck in one week
Al Jazeera counted 18 attacks on Sudan's electricity network in the seven days to November 2, causing outages in Khartoum, Omdurman, Kassala and Northern State.
484
Civilians killed or wounded in 70 reported drone attacks
A Sudanese government report counted 70 drone attacks launched from Ethiopian territory between February 15 and October 27, involving 187 one-way attack drones and 82 munitions, and said they killed or wounded 484 civilians.
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November 2026
Satellite imagery shows damage at four power substations
LatestInvestigation
Misbar compared Sentinel-2 images taken before and after the reported attacks and found dark spots consistent with fires at substations in Northern, River Nile and Kassala states.
Monitor counts 42 drone strikes since October, one on a military target
Investigation
Ayin said it had recorded at least 42 strikes across the country as of November 2, of which one hit a military target. In the ten days to that date it counted at least 28 civilian targets, including 15 power stations, markets and a hospital.
Army says it intercepted more than 180 drones in two months
Military
A military source told Sudan Tribune that tracking units had followed more than 180 drones over two months and shot down most of them, though some reached their targets.
Ethiopia orders six Sudanese diplomats to leave
Diplomatic
Ethiopia ordered six Sudanese diplomats out after Khartoum's complaints over drone launches, and Sudan Tribune reported mutual expulsions the next day. Ethiopia has denied Sudanese accusations that its territory is used to support RSF attacks.
Army aircraft destroy North Kordofan water station
Attack
A Sudanese army Antonov destroyed the Al-Kabjark water station at Um Badr, killing two women and injuring ten, according to Sudan Tribune. A lawyers' group said the area had no military presence.
Drone strikes kill civilians in Kordofan and Blue Nile
Attack
Eight people were killed in Um Dibo in West Kordofan, and a strike on a fuel station in El Abbasiya Tagali, South Kordofan, killed at least four. Strikes on Ed Damazin in Blue Nile killed a woman and a young man.
UN warns drone strikes are cutting water, power and fuel
Statement
UN humanitarian coordinator Denise Brown said attacks on energy and fuel facilities were disrupting hospitals, water supplies and aid deliveries. She said dialysis stopped for 25 patients at a hospital outside Khartoum when the power failed.
Sudan files complaints against Ethiopia at UN and African Union
Diplomatic
Sudan's foreign ministry asked the UN Security Council and the African Union's Peace and Security Council to act on its charge that the Rapid Support Forces launches drones from Ethiopian soil. A government report counted 70 drone assaults from February 15 to October 27.
Drones hit three more substations as week's total reaches 18
Attack
Strikes hit New Halfa and Aroma in Kassala state and al-Ghazali in Northern State, causing outages across parts of the country. Al Jazeera counted 18 attacks on the electricity network in a week.
Senior RSF commander defects in Blue Nile
Military
Sudan's army said a group of RSF members surrendered in Damazin after commander Siddiq Ander announced his defection in video obtained by Al Jazeera. The army said he gave information about 'Ethiopian support' for the RSF.
UN envoy says talks with RSF-aligned bloc expected before Christmas
Diplomatic
Pekka Haavisto said the UN expected to meet the RSF and its allies, possibly in Addis Ababa, through the Quintet before late December, after talks with SAF-aligned representatives and an anti-war coalition led by Abdalla Hamdok.
Drone strikes cut power in Al-Dabbah and Abu Hamad
Attack
Strikes knocked out substations in Northern state and River Nile state, leaving both towns without electricity and disrupting water supplies. The Sudan Doctors Network said the outages endangered hospitals and dialysis patients.
Nyala market toll revised to 188 killed
Attack
The Sudan Founding Alliance's Government of Peace and Unity raised the toll from the October 26 Tanqong Market strike to 188 killed and 356 wounded, citing its health authorities. The figures have not been independently verified; MSF said Nyala Teaching Hospital received 36 bodies and treated more than 150 wounded.
October 2026
Guterres says he is 'appalled' by Sudan drone strikes
Statement
The UN secretary-general condemned escalating drone attacks by both parties to the conflict, called the strikes violations of international humanitarian law, and urged an immediate halt to hostilities.
Drone strike on Al-Markhiyat power station causes Khartoum blackout
Attack
A drone hit the Al-Markhiyat power station northwest of Omdurman, cutting power in Omdurman and Khartoum. Sudan Tribune called it the seventh attack on power facilities in less than a week.
Drone strike on Nyala market kills at least 21 to 102
Attack
A drone struck Tanqong Market in Nyala, South Darfur, on Monday evening. Al Jazeera, citing AFP, reported at least 21 killed and 40 injured. Radio Tamazuj, citing RSF-aligned health officials, reported 102 killed and 113 injured, and eyewitnesses blamed army drones.
Drones hit power stations in five states
Attack
RSF drones attacked power stations in Al-Junaid (Al-Jazirah), Singa (Sennar), Al-Hawata and Al-Faw (Al-Qadarif), and Mashkour (White Nile). Sudan Tribune reported the strikes caused outages across central, eastern and western regions.
Khartoum denies army role in Abyei strike
Political
Sudan's government denied that the army was involved in the Abyei market strike, according to local reports.
Security Council condemns Abyei attack
Diplomatic
The Security Council condemned the Abyei attack 'in the strongest terms,' warned the toll would rise, said attacks on civilians could be war crimes, and called for a prompt investigation.
Türk says drone strikes killed 306 in three weeks
Statement
Türk condemned the escalation in drone strikes across Sudan, which killed at least 306 people and injured hundreds more in the first three weeks of October. He urged a ceasefire and an end to arms flows used in violations of international humanitarian law.
UNISFA reports at least 80 killed in Abyei strikes
Statement
The UN Interim Security Force for Abyei said at least 80 people were killed and 27 injured, and that it had doubled patrols and was urging community restraint.
Sudan peace talks resume in Geneva
Diplomatic
Nearly two dozen countries met in Geneva for talks on ending the war, with the first session focused on de-escalation. UN envoy Pekka Haavisto urged delegates to build confidence toward a comprehensive ceasefire.
Drone strike on Abyei market kills at least 153
Attack
A drone hit Amiet Market in the disputed Abyei region, killing at least 153 people and injuring 19, according to Abyei's information minister, who blamed the Sudanese Armed Forces. South Sudan's government condemned the strike.
Drone strike near Khartoum airport kills three children
Attack
A drone strike in the Imtidad Nasser neighborhood east of Khartoum's airport killed three children aged two, four and six, according to a rights group that blamed the Rapid Support Forces. A medical source said four people died.
Drone strikes in West Kordofan kill at least 150
Attack
Strikes in two areas of West Kordofan killed at least 150 people, the Sudan War Observatory told the BBC. Al Jazeera reported that one strike hit a transport hub in al-Dabba where villagers gathered after market day, killing 80.
Dibab truck strike in West Kordofan kills 139
Attack
OHCHR says a truck was hit in a 'double tap' repeat strike in Dibab, West Kordofan, an RSF-controlled area, killing at least 139 people.
Sudanese army drone strike kills four civilians in West Kordofan
Attack
A Sudanese army drone strikes a civilian vehicle near Al-Fula, killing four civilians and injuring several others, per the Kordofan Observatory.
Drone strike on Nyala cattle market kills 30
Attack
A drone strikes a cattle market in Nyala, South Darfur, killing 30 people and injuring 47. The army claims it hit RSF positions; the RSF says civilians were killed.
RSF drones hit gold mine in South Kordofan
Attack
RSF drones attack the Bajoun artisanal gold mine in South Kordofan, causing material damage to processing complexes. No deaths reported.
UN Security Council meets on Sudan; calls for halt to drone attacks
Diplomatic
The Security Council meets on Sudan as drone strikes kill civilians across the country. UN political chief Rosemary DiCarlo calls for a mutual ban on drones and says strikes are the leading cause of civilian casualties this year.
UN Security Council extends Darfur arms embargo, drops nationwide scope
Diplomatic
The Security Council extended the existing arms embargo on Sudan's Darfur region until December 11 but dropped calls for a nationwide embargo covering all of Sudan.
September 2026
UN fact-finding mission details foreign supply network for RSF
Investigation
The mission reported that a network spanning the United Arab Emirates, Chad, Libya, and Somalia supplied the RSF with weapons, logistics, training, and foreign personnel, including up to 2,000 Colombian contractors who helped operate drones. It said drone strikes killed more than 1,000 people in the first five months of 2026 and that some conduct amounted to war crimes.
May 2026
UN rights chief warns drone strikes are the leading cause of civilian deaths
Statement
Volker Türk said drone strikes killed at least 880 civilians from January to April, more than 80% of conflict-related deaths, and warned strikes were spreading beyond Darfur and Kordofan to Blue Nile, White Nile, and Khartoum.
March 2026
Double drone strikes kill 28 in Darfur and Kordofan
Attack
A drone hits a parked oil truck at a market in Saraf Omra, North Darfur, igniting part of the market and killing 22 people including an infant, with 17 more injured. A separate strike along a Kordofan road kills six more.
Eid al-Fitr hospital strike kills 64 in El Daein
Attack
On the first day of Eid al-Fitr, an airstrike hits El Daein Teaching Hospital in East Darfur, killing 64 people including children and a doctor. Satellite analysis by Yale's Humanitarian Research Lab confirms the SAF carried out the attack. The hospital's emergency, maternity, and pediatric units are destroyed, leaving over two million people without proper medical care.
RSF drone strike kills 17 in Chad; border sealed
Attack
A drone attack from Sudan kills 17 people in the Chadian border town of Tine, striking mourners at a funeral. Chad's president orders the military to retaliate and closes the entire 1,300-kilometer border.
UN rights chief says 200+ civilians killed by drones since March 4
Statement
Volker Türk declares he is 'appalled' by reports that more than 200 civilians have been killed by drone attacks in the Kordofan region and White Nile state in less than two weeks.
School and health clinic struck in Shukeiri village
Attack
A drone strike hits a secondary school and health clinic in Shukeiri village, killing at least 17 civilians including a health worker.
Drone hits civilian truck in Al-Sunut, killing ~50
Attack
An SAF drone strikes a truck carrying civilians on a road in Al-Sunut, reportedly killing approximately 50 people.
Drone strikes on Abu Zabad and Wad Banda markets kill ~40
Attack
Two separate markets in Abu Zabad and Wad Banda are struck by drones, killing approximately 40 civilians in a single day.
SAF drone strikes hit Al-Muglad market and hospital, killing ~50
Attack
A Sudanese Armed Forces drone strike hits a market and a hospital simultaneously in Al-Muglad, West Kordofan, killing approximately 50 civilians and marking the start of the deadliest month for drone warfare in the conflict.
January 2026
Drone strike count passes 1,000 since war began
Investigation
Conflict monitors record over 1,003 drone strikes since April 2023, with drone use accelerating as both sides acquire more capable aircraft from foreign suppliers.
Sudan's government returns to Khartoum
Political
The military-led government formally returns to Khartoum and begins restoring services in the war-ravaged capital.
December 2025
Sudan's PM presents peace plan to UN Security Council
Diplomatic
Prime Minister Kamil Idris presents a peace plan to the Security Council. The United States pushes for an immediate humanitarian truce as a precondition to broader negotiations.
RSF seizes Heglig oilfield
Military
The RSF captures Sudan's largest oilfield in West Kordofan, cutting a major government revenue source and shifting the war's economic balance.
October 2025
RSF captures El Fasher; massacres begin
Military
The RSF overruns El Fasher, the last SAF stronghold in Darfur. The UN documented more than 6,000 killings in the first three days. A fact-finding mission later classified the violence as genocide against non-Arab ethnic groups.
March 2025
SAF recaptures Khartoum
Military
The Sudanese Armed Forces retake Khartoum after months of fighting, ending two years of RSF control over parts of the capital.
July 2024
Iran and UAE drone supplies to Sudan documented
Investigation
Reports confirm Iran is supplying Mohajer-6 drones to the SAF while the UAE channels Chinese-made Wing Loong II drones to the RSF through Chad, turning the conflict into a proxy drone war.
June 2023
RSF overruns Darfur; ethnic massacres in El Geneina
Military
The RSF captures most of Darfur and carries out ethnic massacres against the Masalit people in West Darfur's capital, El Geneina.
April 2023
War erupts between SAF and RSF in Khartoum
Military
Fighting breaks out across Khartoum between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces after months of tension over RSF integration into the regular army.
Scenarios
1
Drone arms race accelerates; civilian deaths double by year-end
Both sides continue acquiring more capable drones from their respective foreign backers, with no international mechanism in place to restrict supply. The SAF expands its Iranian and Turkish drone fleet; the RSF secures additional UAE-supplied Wing Loong IIs. Civilian deaths from drone strikes, already over 500 in the first eleven weeks of 2026, could exceed 2,000 for the year. This scenario is the default trajectory absent external intervention.
2
Cross-border strikes draw regional military response
Possible
Discussed by: Sudan Tribune, Al Jazeera, Middle East Monitor analysis of Chad border closure
The March 18 RSF strike on Chad that killed 17 and prompted President Deby to seal the border and threaten retaliation signals that the drone war is no longer confined to Sudan. If strikes hit Chad, South Sudan, or Egypt — all of which border active conflict zones — regional powers could intervene militarily or impose no-fly zones. Chad's willingness to conduct operations on Sudanese territory sets a precedent.
3
International pressure forces drone supply restrictions
Unlikely
Discussed by: UN Security Council reporting, Human Rights Watch, arms embargo analysts
The accumulating evidence of war crimes from drone strikes — particularly the satellite-confirmed SAF attack on El Daein hospital — creates enough diplomatic pressure for the UN Security Council to expand the existing Darfur arms embargo to cover all of Sudan, or for key supplier states to face targeted sanctions. However, Russia and China have historically blocked stronger Security Council action on Sudan, and Iran, the UAE, and Turkey face no current penalties for supplying drones to the warring parties.
4
Ceasefire achieved through U.S.-led Board of Peace initiative
Unlikely
Discussed by: Sudan Tribune, U.S. State Department, Security Council Report
The U.S.-led Board of Peace, established in January 2026, set a March deadline to end the fighting. With backing from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and the UAE, this initiative aims to secure a permanent ceasefire with conditions including military reform and exclusion of extremist elements. If both sides face genuine economic and military pressure from their patrons, a truce is possible — but neither the SAF nor RSF has shown willingness to negotiate from anything less than a position of advantage.
5
Darfur arms embargo expires in December without renewal
Likely
Resolves by Dec 11, 2026
Discussed by: UN Security Council; DW analysis
The Security Council extended the Darfur arms embargo to December 11 but dropped calls for a nationwide embargo. Renewal needs a new vote; expiry would leave both sides free to import weapons with no UN restriction, and the September fact-finding report added no sanctions mechanism of its own.
6
UN Security Council adopts resolution on mutual drone ban
Unlikely
Resolves by Dec 11, 2026
Discussed by: UN officials, Security Council analysis
The UN's call for a mutual ban on drone use could gain traction, but Russia and China have historically blocked strong Security Council action on Sudan. Even if adopted, enforcement would be weak without clear mechanisms.
7
Abyei strike pulls South Sudan into the war
Possible
Resolves by End of 2026
Discussed by: South Sudan's government, Abyei officials
A drone strike on Amiet Market in Abyei killed at least 153 people, and Abyei's information minister blamed the Sudanese Armed Forces. South Sudan's government condemned the attack. Abyei is claimed by both countries, and a military response from Juba would widen the war beyond Sudan's borders.
Historical Context
3 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.
1 of 3
November 2020 – November 2022
Ethiopia's Tigray War drone campaign (2020–2022)
During Ethiopia's civil war in Tigray, the federal government deployed Turkish Bayraktar TB2 and Iranian Mohajer-6 drones against Tigrayan forces. Strikes hit civilian targets repeatedly — at least 50 people were killed at a camp for displaced people in January 2022 alone. The government's drone arsenal, sourced from many of the same suppliers now arming the SAF, killed over 449 civilians in Amhara from 2023 onward as the drone program expanded to fight other insurgencies.
Then
Drone strikes helped the Ethiopian military regain control of Tigray but at devastating civilian cost. The Pretoria Agreement ended the Tigray war in November 2022.
Now
Ethiopia's use of foreign-supplied drones against its own population established a template now being replicated in Sudan: governments buying off-the-shelf drone capability from Iran, Turkey, and the UAE to wage wars against domestic opponents, with minimal international consequence.
Why this matters now
Sudan's drone war follows the Ethiopian playbook almost exactly — the same suppliers, the same pattern of market and hospital strikes, the same failure of international mechanisms to restrict drone transfers to governments demonstrably hitting civilian targets.
2 of 3
March 2015 – present
Yemen's Saudi-led coalition air war (2015–present)
The Saudi-led coalition fighting Houthi rebels in Yemen carried out thousands of airstrikes that repeatedly hit weddings, funerals, school buses, and hospitals. A 2018 strike on a school bus in Dahyan killed 40 children. Despite extensive documentation by the UN and human rights organizations, arms sales to the coalition continued for years. The coalition's own investigation mechanism was widely dismissed as inadequate.
Then
International condemnation led some Western nations to pause arms sales, but the coalition's main suppliers continued deliveries. The strikes persisted for years.
Now
Yemen demonstrated that documented civilian casualties and war crimes findings alone are insufficient to halt arms transfers when supplier states have strategic relationships with the buyers.
Why this matters now
Sudan faces the same accountability gap. Iran, the UAE, Turkey, and Russia all have strategic reasons to arm their preferred faction, and the UN Security Council has proven unable to act — exactly as it was unable to halt arms flows to the Yemen coalition for years despite mounting evidence of civilian harm.
3 of 3
2003 – 2005
Darfur genocide and arms embargo (2003–2005)
The Sudanese government under Omar al-Bashir armed Janjaweed militias — the direct predecessors of today's RSF — to carry out ethnic cleansing in Darfur. An estimated 300,000 people died. The UN Security Council imposed an arms embargo on Darfur in 2004 and referred the situation to the International Criminal Court in 2005, which eventually issued warrants for Bashir.
Then
The arms embargo was routinely violated. A UN peacekeeping mission (UNAMID) was deployed but was too small and poorly equipped to protect civilians.
Now
The ICC warrants were never enforced during Bashir's rule. The Janjaweed militias were formalized into the RSF in 2013, and the same commanders now lead one side of today's civil war.
Why this matters now
The original Darfur arms embargo — still technically in effect — has failed to prevent both sides from acquiring advanced drone technology from foreign suppliers. The same ethnic dynamics and the same armed groups are at the center of today's conflict, now equipped with far more lethal technology.
