The unmistakable buzz of drones is fast becoming the new soundtrack of war in Africa. From Sudan to Somalia, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are transforming the battlefield with a reach and precision once reserved for the world’s top militaries. But with the growing accessibility of these systems, the lines between state and insurgent power are blurring, and the rules of engagement are rapidly shifting.
In Sudan, the escalating civil war between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has become a drone-heavy conflict. On July 31, 2024, SAF leader General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan narrowly escaped a drone strike at a military graduation ceremony — a grim sign of how drones have become central to both sides’ arsenals.
Drone strikes have been recorded in at least 15 African nations in recent years, many involving Turkish Bayraktar TB2s, Chinese CH-series aircraft, and Iranian Mohajers. What once required airbases and fighter jets can now be done by portable systems and laptop operators.
Drones Democratize Firepower
The appeal is clear. Drones offer low-cost surveillance, precision strikes, and limited risk to operators. African governments, eager to keep up, have struck dozens of drone procurement deals with countries like Türkiye, Israel, China, and the UAE. Türkiye alone has signed over 30 drone supply agreements across the continent since 2021.
But states are no longer the only actors in the drone game.
Armed groups in Libya, Somalia, Mali, and beyond are also fielding UAVs — sometimes modified from commercial drones bought online. These DIY drones drop improvised explosives or carry out reconnaissance missions. In Burkina Faso, jihadist groups are now using small first-person view (FPV) drones to launch bottle bomb attacks, showcasing a dangerous tactical evolution.
Local Drone Industries Take Flight
At least nine African countries are now manufacturing their own drones, including Sudan, South Africa, Kenya, and Nigeria. Tunisia’s ENOVA Robotics is even exporting security robots to the U.S. While locally made systems still make up a small slice of the market, this signals a growing ambition for self-reliance in unmanned tech.
Sudan’s state-owned Military Industry Corporation unveiled the Kamin-25 “suicide drone” in 2023 — a loitering munition capable of kamikaze attacks. Meanwhile, the RSF has reportedly acquired Chinese-made CH-4 drones and is experimenting with drone swarms, pushing SAF into an aerial arms race.
Limits of the Drone Era
Despite their potency, drones are no silver bullet.
In guerrilla-style conflicts like those in Somalia or the Sahel, militants disperse, hide among civilians, and operate in difficult terrain. Drones struggle to track or eliminate such targets effectively. Even in Libya, where drones turned the tide of key battles, the conflict itself remains unresolved.
Drone use also deepens the proxy warfare problem. External powers are backing different factions with drone support, prolonging stalemates instead of creating breakthroughs. In Sudan, drone strikes intensified in 2024, but neither side has gained decisive control.
A Race to Adapt
Governments now face the urgent task of developing counter-drone strategies — from jamming signals and spoofing GPS to deploying radar-equipped counter-UAV systems. Some militaries are experimenting with net guns, drone-hunting drones, and portable interceptors. Yet the real challenge lies in doctrine.
“A drone can strike, but it cannot hold ground,” says one African military analyst. “Victory still requires boots, not buzz.”
As drone warfare matures in Africa, the continent must strike a delicate balance — embracing technological gains without outsourcing too much of its security future to remote-controlled machines. In the end, the power to shape Africa’s wars will rest not in the machines, but in the decisions of the people who command them.