Sudan drone war is erasing the front line, UN finds
More than 1,000 people were killed in drone attacks in Sudan between January and May 2026, according to a United Nations (UN) investigation that says both sides may have committed war crimes in attacks affecting civilians and civilian infrastructure. Sudan’s expanding drone warfare is allowing attacks to reach far beyond immediate front lines, exposing civilians […]
A United Nations investigation has revealed that over 1,000 people were killed in drone attacks in Sudan from January to May 2026, with both the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) likely committing war crimes. The conflict has expanded beyond traditional front lines, putting civilians in hospitals, schools, markets, and displacement sites at risk.
The UN Independent International Fact-Finding Mission for Sudan's report, released on September 1, 2026, found evidence that the RSF carried out drone strikes in Kalogi, South Kordofan, killing 114 people, including about 60 children, and injuring 35 others. The mission also documented attacks on the International Organisation for Migration's former premises at Kulba displacement site, killing at least five civilians.
In January 2026, a drone attack on a market in Dilling resulted in at least 12 civilian deaths. The report documents strikes against health centers, schools, markets, fuel and water infrastructure, and residential areas. The UN mission found that the increased sophistication of drones has reduced the protective effect of distance, as attacks now target communities that were previously considered safe.
The report calls for stronger enforcement of the Darfur arms embargo and urges the UN Security Council to extend it to cover all of Sudan.
Written by urgent.news from People Daily Kenya's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
