Turkish Bayraktar Drones: Deepening the Conflict and Worsening the Wounds in Sudan

25th December 2024

4 minutes read

Turkish Bayraktar Drones: Deepening the Conflict and Worsening the Wounds in Sudan

The war in Sudan is witnessing significant military developments that could reshape and extend the conflict that began on April 15, 2023. Reports confirm that the Sudanese army has received advanced reinforcements in the form of sophisticated Turkish drones of the “Bayraktar” model.

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This development comes amid ongoing field escalation between the army and the Rapid Support Forces, as the war increasingly relies on modern technology and advanced weaponry to strengthen their positions.

In this context, questions arise regarding how these Turkish “Bayraktar” drones arrived in Sudan and their potential role in altering the dynamics of the ongoing 19-month conflict.

How Did the Drones Arrive?

Security sources confirmed that the Sudanese army has acquired “Bayraktar” drones, known for their advanced capabilities. These sources clarified that the drones were not delivered directly from Turkey but through a third party acting as a “dummy buyer” to receive and transfer them to Sudan.

They further stated that this third party is an African country located in West Africa.

A source close to security and military circles in Port Sudan revealed that this country is Mali. Its president, Colonel Assimi Goïta, who came to power following a military coup in May 2021, maintains strong ties with Sudanese army leader General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, who led a coup against Sudan’s civilian government in October 2021, five months after Mali’s coup.
It is worth noting that the defense ministries of Sudan and Mali signed memorandums of understanding last June to enhance military and security cooperation between the two countries.

Number of Bayraktar Drones and Operational Status

Well-informed sources have reported that the Sudanese army received one complete system of Turkish Bayraktar TB2 drones. Each system includes six drones known for their advanced capabilities.

In Port Sudan, military sources confirmed that the drones would be fully operational by mid-month. While a military source indicated that two of the six drones are already in service, a military expert deemed this unlikely, predicting full system deployment in the coming days.

Regarding the delay in drone activation, the expert explained that such advanced drones require ground preparations, such as building ground control stations. Each system requires two such stations, along with additional facilities for data support, drone communication, and logistical maintenance to ensure operational readiness.

Iranian Drones Preceding the Turkish Ones

Before the arrival of the Bayraktar drones, the Sudanese army was using two types of Iranian drones in its fight against the Rapid Support Forces:

The Mohajer-6: An advanced drone produced by the Iranian Aviation Industries Organization (IAIO), affiliated with Iran’s Ministry of Defense.
The Ababil-3: Another Iranian drone equipped with advanced day and night imaging systems. It is mainly used for surveillance and reconnaissance but occasionally deployed for light combat missions.

Wim Zwijnenburg, a drone expert and project leader at the Dutch organization Pax for Peace, stated that the use of these drones indicates active Iranian support for the Sudanese army. These drones are equipped with guided munitions not manufactured in Sudan, and their maintenance is provided by Iranian facilities.

Who Pays the Price?

The arrival of such sophisticated and lethal weapons not only poses a real threat to civilian lives but also increases the likelihood of prolonging a conflict now entering its second year. This war has already resulted in the death and injury of tens of thousands of people, the displacement of 11 million individuals (or 2.1 million families) within Sudan living under dire conditions, and the refuge of 3 million Sudanese in neighboring countries, most of whom endure appalling humanitarian conditions and face various forms of abuse.

UN reports indicate that approximately 25.6 million people, more than half of Sudan’s population, are at risk of acute hunger, including over 1.5 million on the brink of famine. This underscores that any attempt to extend the war will exacerbate the destruction and deepen the humanitarian catastrophe, already ranked among the worst globally.

The introduction of Turkish Bayraktar drones into Sudan’s battlefield represents a significant turning point in the conflict’s dynamics. With indiscriminate aerial bombings of civilian areas by fighter jets and the considerable destructive capabilities offered by these drones, Sudan seems poised for an even harsher phase of this war, with intensified military complexities and amplified human losses.

This military development brings nothing but further disasters for civilians, as the use of advanced combat technologies in an internal conflict setting exacerbates the suffering of local populations. They bear the highest costs, including the destruction of infrastructure, loss of lives, hunger, outbreaks of diseases, and mass displacement.

The continued influx of advanced weaponry, whether from Turkey, Iran, or other sources, reflects regional and international involvement in the Sudanese war, potentially turning it into a protracted conflict with no foreseeable end.

The critical question remains: how long will this war last? And to what extent will civilians continue to fuel it? This pressing question places the world before an urgent moral and humanitarian responsibility: to end this destructive conflict before it spills over into other regions of the continent and escalates into an even greater tragedy that cannot be contained.