NEW YORK – U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres has strongly condemned the escalating use of drones by parties to Sudan’s conflict, warning that the attacks have killed hundreds of civilians, including women and children, across Sudan and in the disputed Abyei region.
In a statement issued by his spokesperson, Guterres said the growing drone campaign was having devastating consequences for civilians and raised serious concerns under international humanitarian law.
The secretary-general condemned attacks directed against civilians and civilian infrastructure, including healthcare facilities, and urged the warring parties to avoid placing civilians and critical infrastructure at further risk.
He called on the parties to agree without delay to a cessation of hostilities as an initial step toward ending the conflict.
The warning comes amid a sharp escalation in drone warfare across Sudan, with recent attacks affecting populated areas and critical infrastructure including electricity facilities, hospitals, markets and other civilian sites.
Drone strikes have also affected Abyei, the disputed territory between Sudan and South Sudan, where recent attacks caused heavy civilian casualties.
Guterres renewed his call for the parties to engage in good faith with mediation efforts aimed at ending the war.
The United Nations remains ready to support initiatives seeking a sustainable political settlement that reflects the aspirations of the Sudanese people, the statement said.
The conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces has continued since April 2023, triggering mass displacement, widespread destruction and what the United Nations describes as one of the world’s gravest humanitarian crises.
The latest statement adds to growing international concern over the expanded use of drones in the war, particularly as increasingly long-range systems allow attacks on civilian population centres and infrastructure far from conventional front lines.
International humanitarian law requires parties to distinguish between civilians and military objectives and prohibits attacks directed at civilians and civilian objects.
Guterres urged the parties to move from military escalation toward negotiations, warning that continued attacks would deepen civilian suffering and further damage infrastructure essential to daily life.
