UN warns Sudan conflict entering “deadlier phase” amid civilian deaths

The United Nations human rights chief warned on May 11 that escalating violence in Sudan and the growing use of armed drones could push the conflict into a more lethal stage, leading to increased civilian deaths and displacement.

“The international community is on notice that, unless action is taken without delay, this conflict is on the cusp of entering yet another new, even deadlier phase,” Volker Türk said in a statement, Reuters reports. 

Türk said armed drones had become the leading cause of civilian deaths in the conflict. According to data from the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), drone strikes accounted for 80% of all conflict-related civilian deaths between January and April this year, with at least 880 people killed by unmanned aerial vehicles during that period.

Most of the deaths were recorded in the Kordofan region and in Darfur, western Sudan, which has remained a major center of violence since civil war erupted in April 2023 between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces.

The UN rights chief warned that drone warfare is now spreading beyond Darfur into other regions, including Blue Nile, White Nile and Khartoum.

“An intensification of hostilities in the coming weeks, as the parties seek to gain or consolidate control of territory amid shifting conflict dynamics, risks hostilities expanding even further to central and eastern states, with lethal consequences for civilians across enormous areas,” Türk said.

He added that drones were allowing combat operations to continue during the rainy season, which had previously slowed ground fighting.

Türk also called for “robust measures” to prevent the transfer of weapons, including advanced armed drones, to the warring parties.

By Sabina Mammadli