Iranian drones help Sudanese army turn the tide of civil war

Officials including Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi inspect a drone at a ceremony in Tehran Photo: AFP

Sudan's army says it has begun using Iranian-made drones to help retake territory and turn the tide of the country's civil war.

The newly acquired remote-controlled vehicles have been used for reconnaissance and artillery spotting during recent army victories. in Omdurman, across the Nile from the capital Khartoum.

Iranian officials also told Reuters that the Sudanese military has begun using drones in the past few months in its war against paramilitary rivals the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).< /p>

However, Sudan denies that the drones were supplied directly by Tehran, and their origin was not immediately clear.

Iranian drones have also been widely used by armies and militias in countries such as Russia, Syria and Yemen.< /p> Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, commander of the Sudanese army, which previously used old drones of the conflict in the early months Photo: AFP

Ali Sadeq, Sudan's acting foreign minister who visited Iran last year and supports the army, told Reuters: «Sudan has not received any weapons from Iran.»

The Sudanese armed forces have used several older drones in combat. actions. the first months of the conflict, which broke out in April 2023 but had little success against RSF fighters stationed in densely populated areas of Khartoum.

New, more effective versions then began operating from the Wadi Sayyidna army base north of Khartoum from January, according to local witnesses.

“In recent weeks, the army has started using precision drones in military operations, which has forced the RSF to flee many areas and allowed the army to deploy forces on the ground,” said Mohamed Othman, a 59-year-old resident of Al-Thawra district in Omdurman.

< img src="/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/4ec6c646c19866c02d6055c8675f77e6.jpg" /> Iranian drones have been used in numerous conflicts around the world. Photo: Iranian army

Tehran's support for the Sudanese army is aimed at strengthening ties with the strategically located country, Iranian and regional sources say.

Sudan is located on the Red Sea, which is a key site of competition between world powers, including Iran. , while war rages in the Middle East.

On the other side of the Red Sea, Yemen's Houthis, partially armed by Iran, have launched attacks in support of Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

“What Iran will gain in return? Now they have a transit point on the Red Sea and on the African side,” said a Western diplomat, who asked not to be named.