UN report finds Sudan's Al Burhan's forces used foreign-supplied drones in attacks on civilian areas

A UN-backed investigation has uncovered that Sudan's armed forces, led by General Abdel Fattah Al Burhan, have employed foreign-supplied drones in assaults on civilian areas since late 2023. The Independent International Fact-Finding Mission for Sudan disclosed the findings in a report released on Thursday, corroborating suspicions that external entities have extended support to the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) through weapons transfers.

However, the report delves deeper into the SAF's reliance on foreign assistance to carry out lethal drone strikes targeting hospitals, markets, and other civilian locations in multiple regions. The UN team's evidence points to a significant escalation in the SAF's drone capabilities, procured from external sources, to execute these attacks.

The mission concluded that there is reasonable cause to suspect that the SAF utilized foreign drones and loitering munitions in these civilian-targeting operations, potentially constituting a serious infringement of international humanitarian law and a war crime. The report's revelations come amidst escalating tensions between the SAF and RSF, a conflict that has claimed tens of thousands of lives, displaced millions, and triggered one of the world's most severe humanitarian crises, with an estimated 20 million individuals facing food insecurity.

Despite numerous ceasefire efforts, the war persists, with both sides accused of perpetrating grave human rights abuses. In July, the United States sanctioned the SAF-aligned government for employing chemical weapons in the conflict. The UAE, a Quad member, has urged a return to civilian rule in Sudan and emphasized its disengagement from the civil war, condemning violations of international human rights and humanitarian laws by both the SAF and RSF.