Drone warfare has become the deadliest threat to civilians in Sudan's ongoing conflict, with both the military and the rival paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) receiving supplies from various countries in the Middle East and beyond, according to experts. The United Nations human rights chief, Volker Turk, stated this week that armed drones are now by far the leading cause of civilian deaths, accounting for over 80 percent of conflict-related fatalities. He called for measures to prevent their transfer to Sudan.
Escalating Civilian Deaths
Between January and April, drones killed at least 880 civilians. The war, which began in April 2023, has resulted in at least 59,000 deaths, displaced approximately 13 million people, and pushed parts of the country into famine. In recent weeks, the RSF has conducted drone attacks on Khartoum International Airport and other areas near the capital, which the army had seized control of last year.
Analysts note that foreign-supplied advanced drone technology enables the warring parties to expand strikes on densely populated areas, complicating peace efforts and raising fears of a broader proxy conflict. Drones have targeted hospitals, dams, schools, and markets. Jalale Getachew Birru, East Africa senior analyst at the US-based Armed Conflict Location and Event Data project (ACLED), explained that drones have emerged as a force multiplier on the battlefield, enabling ground offensives and weakening enemy defenses. Both the army and RSF use drones to secure contested territory, disrupt mobilization efforts, and spread insecurity in areas controlled by rivals.
Sharp Increase in Drone-Related Deaths
ACLED found that at least 2,670 people, including combatants and civilians, were killed in 2025, marking a 600 percent increase in drone-related deaths and an 81 percent increase in drone attacks compared to the previous year. Drone strikes by the warring parties have targeted civilian infrastructure, including hospitals, dams, schools, markets, and displacement camps. Most civilian deaths from drone attacks have occurred in the Kordofan region in central Sudan, according to Turk. On May 8, drone strikes in South Kordofan and near the city of el-Obeid in North Kordofan reportedly killed 26 civilians. Earlier this year, more than 70 people were killed in drone attacks on densely populated areas in Kordofan, according to the Sudan Doctors Network.
On Tuesday, a Sudanese rights group, the Emergency Lawyers, reported that nine drone attacks on civilian vehicles had killed at least 36 people over the past ten days across seven provinces. The group blamed both the army and RSF, noting that some drones use visual monitoring technology capable of distinguishing targets, raising concerns that the attacks may not have been indiscriminate.
Role of Drones in Seizure of el-Fasher
The RSF began using drones widely only last year, said Gabriella Tejeda, research associate at The Soufan Center. The army and RSF are competing to obtain new drone models, particularly from China, but the RSF is modifying drones and increasingly competing to acquire newer, more sophisticated models. Nathaniel Raymond, executive director of the Humanitarian Research Lab at the Yale School of Public Health, stated that the RSF is backed by external technology, with satellite imagery showing its use of Chinese-made CH-95 and FH-95 drones that are roughly the size of small aircraft.
In areas such as el-Fasher city in North Darfur, where at least 6,000 people were killed over three days last year, RSF drones shut down communications of civilians crying for help and target them where a signal is detected, Raymond said. He added that the RSF could not have seized the city without these capabilities. The sophistication of how they use drones in el-Fasher is unique, as it is the first time a layered, hunter-killer concept of operations has been observed to kill people trapped inside a kill box, preventing them from crying for help. UN experts said the violence indicated hallmarks of genocide.
Army Drone Strikes on Civilian Infrastructure
The army's drone technology has been blamed for striking civilian infrastructure, such as Al Daein Teaching Hospital in East Darfur, where at least 64 people were killed. The army officially denied responsibility, but two military officials at the time said the intended target was a nearby police station. Raymond noted an alarming increase in army drone strikes on protected infrastructure, such as schools and markets, in the past four to six months. The army has maintained that it does not target civilian infrastructure.
Earlier this month, the Sudanese government accused neighboring Ethiopia of being behind recent drone attacks on sites including Khartoum airport. Cross-border drone activity may have contributed to rising civilian deaths, but Birru and Raymond said that is difficult to confirm. Tejeda concluded that both warring parties' battle tempo is only increasing, and their backers are actively still investing in the war, making it clear that neither side is interested in a resolution.
