A drone strike on a funeral procession in Sudan has been condemned by the Foreign Office as an act of terror, escalating concerns over the use of unmanned aerial vehicles in civilian contexts. The attack, which occurred in the town of El-Obeid, killed at least 15 mourners and injured dozens more, according to local medical sources. The funeral was for a prominent local journalist who had been critical of the Sudanese military, raising questions about targeted assassinations.
The Foreign Office statement called the strike a 'calculated and appalling act of violence' that targeted civilians in a sovereign state. 'This is not a battlefield. This is a place of mourning,' the statement read. 'We stand with the Sudanese people in demanding accountability.'
The drone used has been identified as a Chinese-made Wing Loong II, a model known for its precision strike capabilities. This is the first confirmed deployment of such advanced drone technology in Sudan, though similar systems have been used in Libya and Yemen. The UAE and Saudi Arabia have been accused of supplying these drones to the Sudanese Rapid Support Forces (RSF), though both nations deny involvement.
The attack has drawn international condemnation from the United Nations and human rights groups, who say it violates international law. 'Strikes on funeral gatherings are not collateral damage; they are war crimes,' said a UN spokesperson. The RSF, a paramilitary group locked in a power struggle with the Sudanese army, has not claimed responsibility but praised the operation as 'precise and effective'.
The use of drones in Sudan is part of a broader global trend where states and non-state actors deploy these weapons with little oversight. The technology is becoming cheaper and more accessible, leading to concerns about an automated arms race. In Sudan, the conflict has already claimed over 9,000 lives, with 6 million displaced since April 2023.
As a climate and science correspondent, I observe that the weaponisation of drone technology mirrors the industrialisation of the energy sector. Just as fossil fuels externalise the cost of pollution, drones externalise the cost of violence. The distance between operator and target enables a moral hazard, making it easier to strike with less individual accountability. The precision of these weapons is marketed as reducing civilian casualties, but this incident shows that even 'surgical' strikes can result in mass death when targeting is flawed.
Data from the Bureau of Investigative Journalism indicates that drone strikes in Africa have tripled since 2020, with at least 1,200 reported deaths in Somalia alone last year. The civilian casualty rate remains high, estimated at 15% for operations involving the US African Command. In Sudan, the lack of independent verification makes accurate numbers elusive, but local observers report a sharp increase in strikes since the RSF acquired new drones in December.
Technological solutions exist. Drone detection systems using radar and acoustic sensors could provide early warning. International treaties governing autonomous weapons are under discussion at the UN, but progress is slow. The UK has called for a legally binding framework to regulate the use of drones in conflict zones, but no agreement has been reached.
For now, the people of El-Obeid are left to bury their dead. The drone that attacked them is likely back in its hangar, awaiting new coordinates. The cycle of violence continues, unchecked by the very technology designed to bring precision to war. As the planet warms and resources dwindle, such conflicts are likely to become more frequent. The only question is how many more funerals must be bombed before the world acts.
