Drone strikes kill dozens in Sudan

What's happened

Since Friday, drone strikes have killed more than 160 people across western Sudan and in disputed Abyei, including at least 50–80 civilians in West Kordofan and an attack on Amiet Market near Abyei that has left scores dead and dozens wounded. Authorities and aid groups have blamed both the Sudanese military and the paramilitary RSF; the UN has warned of rising civilian harm.

What's behind the headline?

What happened

Since Friday, multiple drone strikes have struck markets, transport hubs and towns across Sudan and in the Abyei area. Reported single-strike tolls range from dozens to about 80 dead in West Kordofan; local authorities in Abyei have reported more than 150 deaths after an attack on Amiet Market and medical teams have treated scores of burn and blast cases.

Who is attacking whom

Both the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces are trading accusations and using drones to reach deep into areas held by the other side. Local officials and rights monitors have attributed specific strikes to each side: medical and witness accounts said an army drone hit al-Dibab/Al-Dibab transport hub; RSF statements blamed the army for strikes on Nyala and other markets; Emergency Lawyers and rights groups document child and civilian deaths near Khartoum and elsewhere.

Why this is escalating

• Drones let both sides strike populated civilian logistics hubs without risking front-line troops. That will increase civilian exposure because markets and transport hubs concentrate people at predictable times.
• External actors have supplied equipment and materiel that is sustaining the campaign of air and drone strikes; the UN has urged states to stop fuelling drone use.

Immediate consequences

• Hospitals are receiving many burn and blast victims and are becoming overstretched; aid agencies warn lifesaving services are under threat.
• The strikes will worsen food insecurity by disrupting markets and transport routes in oil‑and‑agriculture regions such as Kordofan and Darfur.

Near-term forecast

• Drone attacks will continue to target crowded civilian sites because they achieve tactical disruption and inflict high civilian cost.
• International pressure will increase for a humanitarian truce and restrictions on arms transfers, but China and Russia have previously blocked broader measures at the UN, which will limit immediate policy impact.

What to watch next

• Independent verification of the Amiet Market toll and the identities of the attackers.
• UN and humanitarian appeals for funding and protection of medical and aid workers.
• Any move by major external backers to curb drone supplies; this will directly reduce strike frequency.

How we got here

Fighting between Sudan's army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces has been ongoing since April 2023. Warring parties have increased drone attacks in recent months, and UN agencies say drone strikes have become a leading cause of civilian deaths amid a widening humanitarian crisis with millions displaced and growing hunger.

Our analysis

The coverage converges on scale and civilian harm but differs in attribution and local detail. The Independent quoted Yohanna Akol Ngor, Abyei's caretaker information minister, saying "We have recorded 153 deaths" after the Amiet Market attack and reported MSF confirming more than 20 wounded taken to Ameth Bek Hospital. Arab News relayed Abyei authorities saying the strike used "22 munitions" and wounded at least 27, and noted Juba's foreign ministry summoned Sudan's ambassador to protest. Al Jazeera and AP outlined a broader wave of attacks: Al Jazeera reported "more than 160" killed in western regions since Friday and quoted UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric saying the UN is "alarmed by the continued deadly drone strikes"; AP named three children killed near Khartoum and described witness accounts of drones being intercepted and crashing. Those differences show two patterns: local authorities are providing high, rapidly rising tolls and attributing responsibility to the Sudanese military in Abyei, while national and international outlets (AP, Al Jazeera, France 24, The Guardian) are emphasising a series of drone strikes across Kordofan, Darfur and Khartoum with varying claims by both the army and the RSF. The Guardian and France 24 used first‑hand witness quotes — Ahmed Abakar Wadi said he helped bury "50 bodies, one of them my own brother" — which personalise the toll and give specific slaughter accounts. The UN and aid groups cited by All Africa and Al Jazeera focus on wider humanitarian impact, warning that drone use is driving civilian deaths and disrupting essential services. Read the Independent for the Abyei-specific official toll and MSF hospital details; read Al Jazeera and AP for the national pattern of drone strikes and UN reaction; read The Guardian and France 24 for vivid witness testimony from West Kordofan.

Go deeper

• Who controls Abyei today and how will that affect investigations?
• Will major states supplying drones face pressure to halt transfers?
• How are hospitals and aid agencies coping with rising burn and blast casualties?

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