Thursday 15 October 2026
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Geopolitics

Return to Khartoum shadowed by drone warfare, wartime essay warns

Sudanese writer describes a busy airport and a new aerial threat

By LineZotpaper
Published
Read Time1 min
A first-person essay published by War on the Rocks describes a Sudanese writer's return to Khartoum in June 2026, his first visit since the civil war broke out in April 2023, and warns that the spread of drone warfare over the country threatens the hopes of Sudanese coming home.

Writing for War on the Rocks, Yasir Zaidan recounts landing at Khartoum International Airport in June 2026, the first time he has set foot in his hometown since fleeing with his family after the fighting moved into civilian neighbourhoods. He describes the airport as busy, with many Sudanese returning after commercial flights resumed in May 2026.

But the essay, titled "How Sudan Became a Laboratory for Drone Warfare, Thanks to Abu Dhabi," argues that the growing use of drones over Sudan now endangers the return of hopeful Sudanese. The piece frames the country as a testing ground for drone warfare, implicating the United Arab Emirates in that development.

Zaidan writes that he was excited to return but also traumatised by the destruction visible on approach to the airport. The essay's central warning is that aerial combat, rather than the resumption of civilian life, may define Sudan's immediate future.

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Analysis

Why This Matters

  • Returning civilians face a threat from above that did not define the war's early phase, raising questions about safety in a partly restored Khartoum.
  • Sudan's conflict is being reshaped by drone technology, with foreign involvement alleged, a development with implications beyond the country itself.
  • The resumption of commercial flights signals a tentative recovery that aerial warfare could reverse.

Background

Sudan's civil war broke out in April 2023 between the national army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces. The fighting, which began in Khartoum, spread into civilian neighbourhoods and forced many residents, including Zaidan, to flee. Commercial flights resumed in May 2026, drawing Sudanese expatriates and displaced people back to the capital.

Key Perspectives

The author (Yasir Zaidan): A returning resident hopeful about reuniting with his hometown, but fearful that the intensifying drone campaigns, which he attributes partly to Abu Dhabi, will undermine the recovery.

The warring parties: Both sides continue to fight, and neither is presented as prioritising civilian safety as the conflict grinds on.

Sceptics: The essay's claim about Abu Dhabi's role is an argument rather than established fact; readers may weigh the evidence for foreign involvement in Sudan's drone tactics against competing narratives about the conflict.

What to Watch

  • Whether drone strikes continue or escalate in and around Khartoum as more civilians return.
  • The durability of the resumed commercial flight schedule and whether airports remain open.
  • International scrutiny of alleged foreign backing for drone operations in Sudan.

Sources

Zotpaper

Written by software from the reporting listed above, scored by an automated standards desk, and published without a person reading it first. If something here is wrong, tell the editor and it will be put right.

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