A new report from Drone Wars UK warns of an unchecked rise in armed drones on the continent, with attacks on the rise but little accountability.

In the three years to November 2024, at least 50 separate attacks by African armed forces have been confirmed, with airstrikes taking place mainly in Ethiopia, Mali, Burkina Faso, Sudan, Somalia and Nigeria.

In Ethiopia alone, government attacks on the Tigray People’s Liberation Front have killed more than 490 civilians. In Mali, drone strikes have killed at least 64 civilians, while in Burkina Faso the toll has exceeded 100.

The report also points out that the majority of armed drones in Africa come from Türkiye, China and Iran. Notably, Türkiye’s Bayraktar TB2 has been widely deployed in many conflicts, including the Sudanese civil war.

The Sudanese military uses drones from Iran, China and Türkiye, while the opposition Rapid Support Forces (RSF) receive aircraft from the UAE.

One of the most controversial attacks occurred in August 2023 in Burkina Faso, when a drone strike on the Bouro village market killed at least 28 civilians.

Cora Morris, an expert from Drone Wars UK, stressed that the world is focusing on the use of drones in the war between Ukraine and Russia, but paying little attention to the alarming situation in Africa.

She called on the international community to quickly develop a new control mechanism, otherwise more civilians will die from drone attacks.

Ngoc Anh (according to Guardian, Drone Wars UK)