Sudan’s Deadly Drone War Flies From Egypt’s Secret Base
A top-secret airstrip deep in Egypt’s Western Desert is now ground zero for a high-tech drone war ripping through Sudan. Nestled beside massive crop circles near the Sahara, military drones launch over wheat fields, targeting Sudan’s brutal civil conflict which has already killed tens of thousands.
Egypt’s Hidden Drone Base Fuels Sudan War
Located near the Sudanese border, Egypt’s covert base operates advanced Turkish drones reportedly striking ruthless paramilitary forces in Sudan’s ongoing civil war. For over 1,000 days, Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (R.S.F.) have clashed with the country’s military, and now foreign players have turned the conflict into a sprawling drone battleground.
Satellite images, flight logs and insider interviews reveal that for at least six months, drones launched from Egypt have attacked R.S.F. fighters and supply lines. Egypt’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Sudan’s military declined to comment.
Foreign Powers Fuel the Fire
- The United Arab Emirates backs the R.S.F., supplying Chinese CH-95 drones.
- Saudi Arabia and Qatar support Sudan’s military, which uses cutting-edge Turkish Baykar drones.
- Egypt, once a diplomatic bystander, now openly joins the fight with its secret drone base.
The war has displaced 12 million people and sees drones regularly targeting not just fighters but civilian sites like mosques, hospitals and power plants, killing thousands. The booming global gold market helps bankroll both sides, pushing drone warfare to new extremes.
The High Stakes Drone Race
Egypt’s involvement exploded after the R.S.F. seized El Fasher in Darfur—a brutal siege provoking President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi to warn Sudan had crossed a “red line.” Shortly after, Turkish Akinci drones, stationed in Egypt, began devastating strikes deep inside Sudan, cutting off R.S.F. supply convoys from Libya and Chad.
Turkey denies direct military involvement, saying drone sales were legal. Yet satellite images show Turkish military and cargo planes regularly landing at the Egyptian base. Meanwhile, the R.S.F. reportedly counter with Chinese drone-jammers and surface-to-air missiles supplied by the Emirates.
“Drones sow terror among the population,” says drone expert Wim Zwijnenburg. “The race to acquire them has brought more chaos and destruction.”
A Grim Future as Threats Fly
The drone attacks have sparked veiled threats from the R.S.F., warning any drones launched from foreign bases—namely Egypt—are fair game. Lt. Gen. Mohamed Hamdan declared, “Any drone that takes off from any airport is a legitimate target for us.”
As planes keep ferrying drones and weapons across borders, the conflict shows no sign of ending. Meanwhile, millions of civilians remain caught in the crossfire of this deadly, foreign-fueled drone war.
