Drone Warfare Increases Humanitarian Costs and Complicates Sudan’s War

The escalation of drone warfare in Sudan is revealing a new dimension in the conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The army has announced that it shot down 29 drones it described as hostile in Kordofan and Darfur, while nine people were killed in an airstrike targeting Bani Shuko village in Al-Kurmuk locality, Blue Nile State.

This escalation reflects a conflict in which neither side has been able to achieve a decisive military victory on the battlefield, while the humanitarian toll continues to grow day by day.

A report by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) notes that “drones and drought are tightening their grip on Sudan’s children.” It further states that attacks on power stations have halted water pumps and disrupted the supply chains responsible for preserving medicines and food.

Human rights and international organisations have reported attacks on civilian facilities. The RSF denies targeting such facilities and accuses its opponents of carrying out these attacks.

Meanwhile, the impact of this warfare on civilians is becoming increasingly evident through their loss of access to water, electricity and medicines, at a time when humanitarian needs continue to rise.