The Sudanese Alliance for Rights (SAR) strongly condemns the reported drone strike by the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) on Adikong in West Darfur this afternoon, near Sudan’s border with Chad and the Adré border crossing. We are deeply concerned by reports that the attack affected civilians and civilian property, and by the broader implications of the continued use of drones in populated and civilian areas.
According to information received from our source on the ground, the reported strike affected people, homes, markets, livestock, and other civilian assets, including schools and water facilities. We are working to establish the full extent of the damage and any casualties.
The attack comes at a particularly critical moment. On 24 August 2026, the United Nations Security Council held a session on Sudan, amid growing international concern over the escalation of aerial attacks, including those carried out by military aircraft and drones, and their devastating impact on civilians. During the session, US Senior Adviser for Africa, Arab and Middle Eastern Affairs, Massad Boulos, called for the Council to expand the existing arms embargo on Darfur to cover the entire territory of Sudan. The United States has also called for drones, unmanned aerial vehicles and related technologies to be brought within the scope of the embargo.
The existing Darfur arms embargo, established by the Security Council more than 20 years ago, is due to expire on 12 September 2026, unless renewed. The US proposal comes as drone attacks have increasingly become a feature of Sudan’s war, placing civilians and civilian infrastructure at growing risk.
SAR urges the Security Council to heed this warning. The reported attack on Adikong demonstrates the urgency of restricting the weapons and technologies enabling the continued use of drones in ways that threaten civilian life and property. The Council should urgently consider extending the arms embargo across Sudan and ensure that its scope addresses the technologies being used in the current conflict.
The location of the reported attack is particularly concerning. Adikong lies close to Chad and the Adré border crossing, an important route for movement, trade and humanitarian assistance between Chad and Darfur. The attack comes only days after Chadian authorities accused the Sudanese military of carrying out an air and drone strike against a convoy inside Chadian territory, raising fresh concerns about the potential for the conflict to spill further across Sudan’s borders.
For communities living along the Sudan-Chad border, escalating drone attacks, insecurity and cross-border incidents present an increasingly serious threat. What is happening in Sudan is already having consequences beyond its borders, and the international community must act to prevent further regional destabilisation.
SAR reminds all parties to the conflict that international humanitarian law requires the protection of civilians and civilian objects during armed conflict. Parties must distinguish at all times between civilians and civilian objects and military objectives and may direct attacks only against legitimate military objectives.
They must also take all feasible precautions to avoid or minimise civilian harm and must not carry out attacks that are indiscriminate or disproportionate to the anticipated military advantage.
The reported impact of the Adikong strike on homes, markets, schools, water facilities, livestock and other civilian assets is therefore deeply concerning. If confirmed, the circumstances of the attack must be urgently examined to establish the intended target, the weapons used, the precautions taken and whether the principles of distinction, proportionality and precaution were respected.
International humanitarian law prohibits intentionally directing attacks against civilians or civilian objects. Where the relevant legal elements are established, intentionally attacking civilians or civilian objects, or launching an attack in violation of the rules of distinction and proportionality, may constitute a war crime.
SAR therefore calls for an independent, impartial and transparent investigation into the reported attack, including its intended target, the weapons and methods used, the precautions taken and the resulting harm to civilians and civilian objects. Those responsible for unlawful attacks must be held accountable.
As airstrikes and drone attacks continue to escalate, the need to document their human cost has never been greater. Understanding the full scale and gravity of these attacks requires systematic documentation of civilian deaths and injuries, the destruction of homes and livelihoods, and damage to essential infrastructure. Such documentation is critical not only to ensure that victims and affected communities are seen and heard, but also to preserve evidence and support future accountability efforts.
The recent allegations concerning an attack inside Chadian territory further demonstrate the need for close documentation of developments along Sudan’s borders and their impact on civilians and neighbouring communities. The international community must have a clear and credible record of what is happening on the ground in order to respond effectively and pursue accountability.
The people of West Darfur have endured years of violence, displacement and destruction. They should not have to live under the continuing threat of attacks on their homes, markets, livelihoods and essential services, nor should victims be left without recognition, support or a pathway to justice.
SAR calls for the immediate protection of civilians, an end to attacks on civilian areas, urgent action to restrict the weapons and technologies fuelling the conflict, and meaningful accountability for violations committed by all parties to the war.
Sudanese Alliance for Rights,
27 August 2026.
