.png)
📌 Introduction
A recent United Nations expert report has revealed the growing presence of Turkish-made weapons in Sudan and South Sudan, despite an arms embargo in place since 2018. The report, presented to the UN Security Council in July, points to the transfer of Bayraktar TB2 and Akinci drones, electronic warfare systems, and small arms into Sudan’s civil war. These findings raise urgent concerns about Ankara’s role in destabilizing one of Africa’s most fragile regions and violating international law.
🔗 References: Nordic Monitor, Causeur
🚨 Violation of International Law
The UN arms embargo on Sudan and South Sudan has been repeatedly extended due to fragile ceasefires and ongoing risks of mass atrocities. By supplying drones, rifles, ammunition, and training, Turkey is in clear breach of its international commitments.
Turkey’s defense industry, particularly Baykar, is reported to have delivered not only drones but also provided technical advisors on Sudanese soil. This undermines global arms control regimes and raises questions about Ankara’s credibility as a responsible international actor.
🌍 Regional & Maritime Security at Risk
Sudan sits at the crossroads of the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea, a critical maritime corridor through which 10–12% of global trade flows, including oil and gas shipments to Europe and Asia.
By equipping Burhan’s Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) with advanced drones capable of reconnaissance and long-range strikes, Turkey is intensifying instability along this vital trade artery. Any escalation risks jeopardizing European energy security, Gulf maritime stability, and global commerce.
🧑🤝🧑 Humanitarian Impact
The entry of Turkish drones has worsened Sudan’s humanitarian catastrophe:
Drone strikes have hit humanitarian convoys, food warehouses, and civilian-populated areas.
Famine conditions have deepened, with millions displaced.
Gender-based violence and child malnutrition are rising in IDP camps.
Instead of protecting civilians, Turkey’s weapons are amplifying civilian suffering and obstructing aid delivery.
🎭 Double Standards & Ankara’s Rhetoric
Turkey often promotes itself internationally as a mediator and humanitarian actor. Yet in Sudan, Ankara plays a double game:
Publicly, it advocates peace and solidarity.
Privately, it arms Burhan’s forces with drones and rifles that fuel war.
This duplicity undermines Turkey’s credibility and exposes its actions as opportunistic power projection rather than genuine peacebuilding.
⚠️ Implications for Turkey’s Global Image
Turkey’s drone industry, once praised for innovation, is now linked to UN embargo violations and humanitarian crises. The fallout includes:
Risk of EU sanctions and tighter export controls.
Strained relations with European partners.
Damage to Ankara’s reputation as a constructive regional power.
Rather than strengthening its global image, Turkey’s involvement in Sudan portrays it as a destabilizing actor exploiting fragile states.
📝 Conclusion: A Call for Accountability
The UN findings demand an urgent international response. The world cannot remain silent while Ankara violates embargoes, fuels humanitarian suffering, and threatens regional security.
✔️ The international community must:
Enforce UN arms embargoes.
Investigate breaches thoroughly.
Hold Turkey accountable for undermining peace and stability.
Without accountability, Turkey’s drone diplomacy risks further eroding global peace architecture and emboldening others to disregard international norms.