As paramilitaries tear through their already devastated province, self-defense fighters in North Darfur have taken up arms to defend their homes.
Fanning the Flames
Since the conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) began in Sudan in April 2023, countless civilians have been killed, millions have been internally displaced, and millions face famine. There is a large and growing body of credible evidence documenting how, during their conduct in the conflict, the warring parties have committed widespread war crimes, crimes against humanity, and serious human rights violations, including in the Darfur region. For example, Human Rights Watch, among others, has documented devastating ethnic cleansing in West Darfur. Given the prevalence of such atrocities in the conflict, Human Rights Watch has called for the renewal and expansion of the existing arms embargo on Darfur to the rest of Sudan to prevent warring parties acquiring weapons or equipment likely to be used to perpetuate serious violations of international human rights and humanitarian law, harming civilians.
War Without End: How Drone Warfare and Failed Diplomacy Are Fragmenting Sudan
Tensions between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) continue to rise amid the over two-year civil war as the RSF’s targeting of the Sudanese capital of Khartoum and its main airport has persisted. The SAF reclaimed Khartoum from the RSF in March by recapturing the presidential palace and government headquarters […]
Exclusive: Long-range 'kamikaze' drones seen near RSF base could worsen conflict in Sudan
More than a dozen long-range kamikaze drones seen near an airport controlled by Sudan's Rapid Support Forces during a major air assault on army territory in May indicate the paramilitaries have new weapons that could alter the course of the war.
Are All Wars Now Drone Wars?
From Sudan to Ukraine, UAVs have upended warfighting tactics and become one of the most destructive weapons of conflict.
Radio silence: How the defence of Sudan's el-Fasher collapsed after comms blackout
Soldiers who fled the North Darfur city describe how jamming of radios and satellite phones left troops confused and isolated as the RSF attacked
Russia is arming attack drones with new electronic defenses to fight off Ukrainian interceptors
The modified Shaheds comes as Ukrainian interceptor drones are logging a growing number of drone kills.
The shifting battlefield: technology, tactics, and the risk of blurring lines in warfare - Humanitarian Law & Policy Blog
The accelerating integration of emerging technologies into armed conflict is transforming not only the tools of war, but its tactics, geography, participants and impact. Technological developments – from commercial drones to artificial intelligence, electronic warfare to the military use of civilian infrastructure – risk undermining boundaries between military and civilian domains. These changes challenge long-held...
Deadly skies: Drone warfare in Ethiopia and the future of conflict in Africa – European Council on Foreign Relations
Drone warfare is increasing in Ethiopia and across Africa. These foreign-supplied weapons risk prolonging wars and can help drive governments further away from
Military Drone Proliferation Marks Destabilizing Shift in Africa’s Armed Conflicts
A revolution in unmanned drone systems is reshaping conflicts in Africa, providing militaries tactical advantages but also risks.
Drones, Wagner Missiles Help RSF Match Sudanese Army’s Might - Africa Defense Forum
ADF STAFF Portable surface-to-air missiles from Russia’s mercenary Wagner Group and weaponized drones are helping Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) level the field in its conflict against the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF). At the outset of the conflict, both sides were closely matched in personnel. But the SAF, armed with planes and heavy weaponry, was
Militaries are drone-happy but populations are living in terror
What governments are hailing as the future, ordinary civilians from Ukraine to Congo call harbingers of death and destruction
Sudan drone warfare kills thousands as both sides secure advanced technology - Sudan Tribune
February 17, 2026 (KHARTOUM) – Drones have claimed thousands of lives during the ongoing war between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), with their geographical use expanding across various battles and leading to heavy casualties and the destruction of vital infrastructure. Both parties are intensely competing to acquire various unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) technologies to achieve breakthroughs across the country. New types of drones have entered Sudan for the first time during this conflict, including the lethal Chinese-made CH-95 or FH-95 models. Technically, the use of FPV and Kamikaze suicide drones has spread between both sides, with heavy usage observed in Khartoum, Al-Jazirah, El Fasher, and other regions. Former Sudanese Air Force pilots indicate that these drones are used to target troop concentrations, light armour, and snipers, as well as to restrict individual movements. According to technical analysis provided by pilots speaking to Sudan Tribune, the army utilizes various models, including the Iranian-made Mohajer-6, which serves as the backbone of its air wing, alongside Chinese and Turkish Bayraktar drones. Conversely, the RSF employs Chinese models and modified commercial DJI drones capable of carrying 120mm mortar shells. Retired Brigadier General Adel Abdel Latif noted that as the war …
The drones being used in Sudan: 1,000 attacks since April 2023
A visual analysis into the types of drones, sourcing methods, attack locations and the human toll of aerial warfare.
US strikes 'dozens of targets' in Iran as war threatens to engulf Middle East
America's military strikes "dozens" of Revolutionary Guard targets across Iran, as the spread of hostilities to Egypt, Iraq and Saudi Arabia threatens to plunge the rest of the Middle East into all-out conflict.
Russia’s FPV drone campaign in Ukraine institutionalizes intentional civilian harm as a tool of war
Russia's use of FPV drones to strike civilian targets in Ukraine indicates a culture seeking to weaponize civilian harm as a tool of war.
In Ukraine, a New Arsenal of Killer A.I. Drones Is Being Born
As the war grinds on, sophisticated Russian defenses have pushed Ukraine to develop a frightening new weapon: semiautonomous killing machines.
