A report by Yale University’s Humanitarian Research Lab has revealed unprecedented preparations by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Nyala, South Darfur, where a massive fleet of suicide drones and launch platforms has been detected around the city’s airport.
According to the report, based on fresh satellite imagery taken on the morning of Monday, September 29, a total of 43 drones appeared that had not been present just three days earlier, along with 36 launch platforms—an increase of 20 compared to those documented on September 26. The report describes this as the largest escalation of its kind since the civil war in Sudan began in April 2023.
Beyond the military buildup, the report also points to evidence of external involvement in bolstering this arsenal. It cited an RSF intelligence officer who told Sky News on September 26 that the United Arab Emirates is the militia’s main backer, and that many aircraft landing in Nyala carry weapons originating from the UAE, some of which transit through Amjaras Airport in Chad.
The report further noted that Emirati company ADASI, part of the EDGE defense conglomerate, signed a 2024 agreement with a Chinese firm to license the production of Sunflower-200 suicide drones—a model similar to Iran’s Shahed drones.
It concludes that the RSF is attempting to expand the scope of the war by pushing Sudan into a new phase of conflict through the use of advanced technologies, thereby worsening the ongoing humanitarian catastrophe. The report stresses that this is not merely a military development but also evidence of continued foreign support, with an explicit reference to the UAE’s role.
It warns that the drones’ continued presence at their sites indicates an imminent attack, urging urgent international action to prevent an escalation that could turn Sudan’s skies into an open battlefield.
