Sudan war becomes regional proxy conflict fueled by foreign drone support, causing mass civilian casualties
Three years into Sudan's civil war, the conflict has evolved into a regional proxy war with foreign powers arming both sides, primarily through drone technology that has killed at least 880 civilians between January and April 2026. The United Arab Emirates is the most prominent backer of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), while the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) receive support from Egypt, Turkey, and Iran. The war has created the world's largest displacement crisis with 12 million refugees and the largest hunger crisis, affecting nearly 20 million people.
Three years into Sudan's civil war, the conflict has evolved into a regional proxy war fueled by foreign drone support that has killed at least 880 civilians between January and April 2026, according to the UN human rights office. Drones caused more than 80% of all documented civilian deaths in that period. The number of drone casualties in 2025 increased by 600% compared to the previous year, per data from the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data (ACLED) project.
The United Arab Emirates is the most prominent foreign backer of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), providing military and logistical support, according to analysts. Ethiopia has reportedly built a secret military camp near the tri-border area with Sudan and South Sudan to train RSF fighters, funded by the UAE. On the opposing side, the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) receive support from Egypt, Turkey, and Iran. Turkey and Iran are suspected of supplying drones to the SAF. Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Eritrea support the SAF and the government in Port Sudan.
"The war in Sudan is an example of how autocratic middle powers act when they think they no longer have to care about international rules," said Theodore Murphy, a U.S.-Canadian Sudan analyst. These middle powers are trying to expand their influence in a time of global upheaval, he added. "There is no world policeman who would hold them accountable."
The RSF captured the city of Al-Fashir in Darfur at the end of October after a 500-day siege, accompanied by systematic massacres. A UN investigation mission in February cited "indications of genocide" in Darfur. Sudan's ambassador to Germany, Ilham Ahmed, said the UAE turned the RSF into a "heavily armed war machine." She called on Germany and other countries to take "decisive measures" to end atrocities and stop external support. As long as that does not happen, "the international community risks becoming morally complicit in the ongoing suffering of the Sudanese population," she said.
The war has caused the world's largest displacement crisis with about 12 million refugees internally and externally. The World Food Programme says nearly 20 million people in Sudan face "acute food insecurity," almost 40% of the population. A Berlin conference in mid-April pledged 1.5 billion euros in aid but did not include either warring party. Estimates of total deaths in Sudan exceed 150,000, though no reliable count exists.