Foreign support, drones fuel Sudan war and possible war crimes, UN probe says
A UN fact-finding mission report indicates that foreign military support and drone technology are fueling the ongoing conflict in Sudan. The report accuses both the military and the Rapid Support Forces of committing war crimes and highlights the involvement of international actors in supplying weaponry.
Why it matters
The findings underscore the role of international proxy involvement in exacerbating one of the world's largest humanitarian crises.
Foreign weapons, military technology, fighters and logistical networks are helping sustain Sudan’s conflict and expanding the warring parties’ ability to strike distant civilian areas with drones, a UN fact-finding mission said on Thursday (September 3, 2026).
Sudan’s war, which erupted in April 2023 following a power struggle between the military and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), has displaced more than 14 million people and created one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.
In a report, the U.N. mission said more than 1,000 people were killed in drone strikes in the first five months of 2026, accusing both sides of serious violations of international humanitarian and human rights law in drone operations, with some conduct amounting to war crimes.
The RSF and Sudan’s military did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Reuters. In the past, both have denied abuses.
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