Turkey's drones boost Sudanese army against RSF
Turkey supplied several drones to Sudan’s army last year, and they have been used to achieve important advances against the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in areas such as Khartoum and el-Obeid, multiple sources with knowledge of the matter told Middle East Eye.
Since the civil war in Sudan began in April 2023, Ankara and other regional countries such as Egypt have backed army chief General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan against the paramilitary RSF, led by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, also known as Hemeti.
However, the delivery of Turkish drones to the Sudanese army in October 2024 marks the first instance of Turkey providing direct military support to the government - potentially shifting the balance of power in the conflict.
The delivery was first reported by the Sudan Tribune in November, citing an army source who said the drones had been operational for about a month and were being used exclusively in Khartoum state.
The drone supply has accelerated the Sudanese army’s advance north of the capital and recently in areas like el-Obeid, the capital of North Kordofan state in the south.
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El-Obeid is a strategic hub connecting Darfur to Khartoum and was until recently besieged by the RSF.
A source familiar with the situation told MEE that Turkish Bayraktar TB2 drones conducted strikes on RSF logistics convoys, artillery batteries and response units. The raids began in el-Gezira province in late 2024 and continued in and around Khartoum, they added.
A video published by Sudan Nabaa news on 16 January purportedly shows an aerial attack by a Bayraktar TB2 targeting Baka Bridge, west of el-Gezira state capital Wad Madani.
'With the arrival of the drones, the RSF's superiority ended. Now we have air support that matches our strength on the ground'
- senior Sudanese army officer
A senior Sudanese army officer, who was previously stationed in el-Gezira and involved in operations north of Khartoum, told MEE that the RSF initially had the upper hand in the war due to advanced weapons provided by its sponsors.
“At the beginning of the war, we lost many military bases and faced significant challenges,” the officer said.
“With the arrival of the drones, the RSF's superiority ended. Now we have air support that matches our strength on the ground.”
An RSF fighter told MEE that defending against Bayraktar drones was incredibly difficult.
"You can't see it. You can't shoot it. And suddenly you find that you have died," he said.
Turkey’s military aid to the Sudanese army positions Ankara and Egypt against the United Arab Emirates, which backs the RSF. This comes despite Abu Dhabi recently improving its ties with Turkey.
However, Ankara does not primarily view its actions in the region as being against the UAE. Instead, Turkey frames its involvement as part of a broader regional strategy aimed at stabilising Sudan.
In December, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told Burhan that Turkey could mediate between Sudan and the UAE, as it recently did between Somalia and Ethiopia.
Erdogan told General Burhan that ensuring peace and stability in Sudan, preserving its territorial integrity and sovereignty, and preventing the country from becoming an area of external interventions are fundamental principles for Turkey, according to a Turkish readout.
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