AFRICA/SUDAN – Drones from the same manufacturer “battle” in Sudanese skies

Khartoum – Flights to and from Khartoum were suspended after drones attacked the capital’s airport and other parts of the city on May 5. The airport, a hub for the distribution of humanitarian aid, was attacked by drones that Khartoum authorities said originated in Ethiopia. Sudanese authorities stated that the Turkish-made drones were purchased by the United Arab Emirates and sent to the Ethiopian airbase at Bahir Dar, from where they are used against Sudanese targets. In response to the attack, Khartoum recalled its ambassador from Addis Ababa .
The United Arab Emirates, like Ethiopia, denied Sudanese accusations of involvement in the attack on Khartoum airport. Ethiopia, for its part, accused the Sudanese Armed Forces under General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan of supporting the TPLF rebels. The drone attack on Khartoum airport, which brought flight operations to a standstill, was condemned by several Arab countries , as well as by the Arab League and the Muslim World League. The United Nations also expressed concern about the attack. The United States and the European Union called for an end to the attacks. Turkey, which supports the Sudanese Armed Forces in their fight against the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces led by Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo , is one of the world’s largest producers of combat drones. Turkish companies also supply their drones to the United Arab Emirates, which, as previously mentioned, is accused by the government in Khartoum of supplying drones to the RSF and using an Ethiopian base for attacks on Sudanese territory. Therefore, the video released by the Sudanese Armed Forces Command, showing a Turkish-made SAF drone shooting down a drone of the same model as the one used by the RSF, does not appear implausible.

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