Sudan is witnessing a sharp escalation in civilian casualties driven by the widespread use of armed drones, with at least 880 deaths recorded between January and April this year, according to the UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk.
Türk said on Monday, May 11, that drone strikes now account for more than 80 per cent of all conflict-related civilian fatalities, warning that unmanned aerial vehicles have become the primary instrument of violence in the ongoing war.
He cautioned that the intensifying reliance on drones is enabling sustained hostilities even as the rainy season approaches, a period that has historically slowed ground fighting. He added that the conflict risks entering an even more lethal phase as rival forces attempt to consolidate territorial control. Most of the reported deaths occurred in Sudan’s Kordofan region, where drone strikes on May 8 alone killed 26 civilians in Al Quz in South Kordofan and near El Obeid in North Kordofan.
Both the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces have been accused of repeatedly targeting civilian infrastructure, including at least 28 attacks on markets and 12 strikes on health facilities over the four-month period. The violence has also spread to Blue Nile, White Nile, and the capital, with a May 4 strike on Khartoum International Airport disrupting flights and undermining fragile returns of displaced civilians.
Türk urged an immediate halt to the transfer of advanced weapons systems, including drones, to the warring parties, warning that continued impunity would worsen attacks on civilians. He also called for safe humanitarian access and protection for civilians fleeing violence, amid growing risks of famine and mass displacement across the country.
