UN warns drone strikes worsen in Sudan

What the report says

France24 Africa reports that the United Nations says drone attacks have become a major driver of civilian harm in Sudan, with more than 80% of civilian deaths there at the start of this year attributed to drone strikes. The warning points to a worsening security situation in a conflict that has already caused widespread displacement and damage to infrastructure. The report does not identify the specific actors behind the attacks in the short excerpt, but it frames drones as an increasingly central feature of the fighting.

The segment appears in France24’s Eye on Africa program and was published on 5 August 2026. It places the Sudan update alongside a separate item on Spain and unaccompanied minors in Ceuta, but the key Africa story is the UN’s concern that aerial drone warfare is intensifying the toll on civilians. That emphasis matters because it suggests a shift in how the conflict is being fought and raises questions about civilian protection and accountability.

More broadly, Sudan has been in crisis since fighting broke out between rival military forces in 2023. In that context, a rise in drone use would fit a wider pattern of the war becoming more technologically destructive, with humanitarian agencies repeatedly warning about risks to non-combatants. France24’s report, however, is limited in detail and mainly highlights the UN’s alarm over the scale of drone-related deaths.