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Sudan Civil War Escalates: Drone Attacks Lead to Soaring Civilian Casualties, Refugee Expulsions Deepen
Sudan Civil War Escalates: Drone Attacks Cause Surge in Civilian Casualties
As the Sudanese civil war enters its third year, armed violence between the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the Sudan Armed Forces has intensified. In particular, the significant increase in drone attacks by both sides has led to severe civilian casualties. In the first two months of 2026, at least 198 drone attacks were recorded, with 52 of these resulting in civilian casualties, leading to a total of 478 civilian deaths. In mid-February, more than 60 people were killed by drone attacks in just two days, including 15 children in an attack by the Sudan Armed Forces on a shelter. Additionally, RSF drones attacked a market, killing 13 people, and struck a university and a humanitarian convoy, killing 3 aid workers. In late 2025, a triple drone attack by the RSF on a kindergarten and hospital in South Kordofan State killed 114 people, 43 of whom were children.
Widening Crisis and Refugee Expulsions
The RSF is currently expanding its control over the Darfur region, targeting border areas and rival militia territories. A UN fact-finding mission stated that the RSF's siege and capture of Al-Fashir, the capital of North Darfur, exhibited characteristics of genocide, with over 6,000 people killed by the RSF in the city and surrounding areas in just three days. Drone attacks have spread across Sudan, reaching as far as the border with neighboring Chad. Chad, which hosts nearly 1 million Sudanese refugees, has closed its borders following several cross-border attacks by the RSF. Other neighboring countries like South Sudan and Ethiopia also face their own civil war threats, making them unsafe for refugees.
Egypt's Forced Expulsions and UK Visa Restrictions
Egypt, once a primary refuge for Sudanese asylum seekers, is now expelling them en masse. Videos shared online show a Sudanese man being arrested by Egyptian authorities in Cairo. Al-Nazir Al-Sadiq, 18, died in Egyptian detention, and three other young people with him were deported. According to the Sudanese embassy in Cairo, 578 Sudanese nationals were repatriated from Egypt to their war-torn homeland between December 2025 and January 2026. Meanwhile, in the UK, Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper MP announced urgent visa restrictions for students from Afghanistan, Myanmar, Cameroon, and Sudan. This forced 210 Sudanese students to abandon their plans to attend UK universities; of these, 22 were set to enroll at Oxford University, and 39 were recipients of UK government-sponsored scholarships.
*Source: YouTube: Sky News (2026-03-11)*
