Residents across several parts of Sudan say they are living in constant fear of drone strikes as the country’s civil war increasingly moves into the air, with attacks targeting military positions, infrastructure and urban areas.
Investigation, drones have become an increasingly prominent feature of the conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), allowing both sides to strike targets far from front lines and making civilians feel that nowhere is safe.
‘You cannot hide from a drone strike,’ one resident told Reuters after an attack near a populated area. Witnesses described hearing little or no warning before explosions, with many saying the unpredictability of the attacks has created a climate of anxiety and displacement.
The investigation found that drone strikes have hit locations including fuel depots, military facilities, transport infrastructure and areas near civilian neighbourhoods. Analysts say the growing use of unmanned aircraft has changed the nature of the war by extending the reach of armed groups and increasing the risk of attacks in places previously considered relatively secure.
Sudan’s conflict began in April 2023 when fighting erupted between forces loyal to army chief General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, widely known as Hemedti. The war has since devastated much of the country, displaced millions of people and triggered what the United Nations has described as one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.
Human rights groups and international organisations have repeatedly warned that the use of explosive weapons in populated areas is causing widespread civilian harm. They have called on all parties to comply with international humanitarian law and avoid attacks that could endanger civilians.
The increasing use of drones has also complicated aid operations, with humanitarian workers saying airspace insecurity and the threat of sudden strikes make it harder to deliver assistance to communities already facing severe shortages of food, fuel and medical supplies.
As the conflict grinds on with no clear political settlement in sight, many Sudanese say the fear of unseen aircraft overhead has become a defining feature of daily life in a country already battered by more than two years of war.
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