This article draws inspiration from a report published by Milli Gazete, with additional insights from UN News and other sources.
Sudan’s civil war is a wound on Africa’s soul, a brutal betrayal of our collective dream for sovereignty and human dignity. Since April 2023, the clash between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has become a grotesque stage for foreign interference, with Turkish drones raining death on Nyala on June 13, 2025, as the latest outrage. As a Pan-Africanist, I see this conflict as a rallying cry: Africa must reclaim its autonomy and defend the sacred human rights of its people from the grip of external predators. Sudan’s struggle is our struggle, and its shadows darken the entire continent.
A Legacy Hijacked: Sudan’s Sovereignty Stolen
Sudan’s historical bond with Turkey, rooted in the Ottoman era’s 19th-century rule, once hinted at shared heritage. Ottoman governance shaped Sudan’s institutions, weaving a thread of Islamic unity. But today, that thread is a chain. Under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkey has cloaked its neo-colonial ambitions in the guise of partnership—drones, military training, and deals like the 2017 Suakin Island restoration. This is no alliance; it’s exploitation. Sudan’s hard-won independence of 1956 is now a pawn in Ankara’s geopolitical chess game, stripping Sudanese people of their right to a future free from foreign domination.
The War That Shames Us All: A Human Rights Catastrophe
Born from internal betrayal—General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo’s (Hemedti) power struggle after Omar al-Bashir’s 2019 ousting—this war is inflamed by external hands. Turkish-supplied Bayraktar TB2 drones have turned Sudan’s skies into execution grounds, with Nyala’s civilian deaths a searing indictment. The numbers are a scream for justice: over 40,000 lives lost, 13.5 million displaced, and 31 million facing starvation. This isn’t just a conflict; it’s a systematic assault on the Sudanese people’s right to life, security, and dignity.
The Human Toll: Africa’s Bleeding Heart
- Displacement: 10.2 million uprooted within Sudan, 3.3 million fleeing to Chad, Egypt, and beyond—communities obliterated.
- Famine: Darfur and Kordofan choke on hunger, a grotesque violation of the fundamental right to sustenance.
- Refugee Crisis: Chad shelters 1.1 million Sudanese, Egypt 750,000, and South Sudan 550,000, straining fragile neighbors and threatening regional peace.
This crisis shames us all. Every drone strike mocks the African Union’s pledge for African-led solutions, every starving child exposes our failure to protect our own.
The Brotherhood’s Duplicity: A Threat to Unity
The Muslim Brotherhood, once a pillar of al-Bashir’s regime through the National Islamic Front, now fractures Sudan further. Their operatives, aligned primarily with the SAF but also dabbling with the RSF, fight not for liberation but for control. The Al-Bara’ ibn Malik Battalion’s presence in Khartoum and elsewhere signals a dangerous Islamist resurgence that could entangle Sudan with foreign agendas, undermining the secular unity needed for true sovereignty. Africa’s future demands that we reject such divisive loyalties.
Turkey’s Drones: Neo-Colonial Chains
Turkey’s Bayraktar TB2 drones aren’t aid—they’re weapons of subjugation. The Nyala airstrikes of June 13, 2025, which killed dozens, reveal Ankara’s priorities: influence over lives. Reports of a $25 million drone downed by the RSF only underscore the stakes—Turkey’s losses are trivial compared to Sudan’s devastation. This is neo-colonialism, a replay of history’s plunder dressed as modern diplomacy. Africa cannot allow foreign technology to dictate our destiny or trample our people’s right to safety.
A Stolen Future, A Path to Redemption
Sudan’s war teeters toward a grim stalemate, fueled by external actors. Peace efforts, like the April 2025 London Sudan Conference, crumble under global rivalries while Sudanese suffer. Yet, hope lies in defiance. A Pan-Africanist vision, anchored in sovereignty and human rights, can chart the way forward. We must:
- Unite: The African Union should lead with authority, imposing sanctions on arms suppliers and brokering peace.
- Protect: African-funded humanitarian corridors can save millions from famine and displacement, affirming the right to life.
- Resist: Expel foreign military presence—drones, bases, all of it—to reclaim our lands and skies.
Africa’s Call to Arms: Solidarity Over Silence
Sudan’s pain is Africa’s pain, its fight is our fight. The Nyala airstrikes are not just a Sudanese tragedy—they’re a continental insult. We’ve endured colonial shadows before; we must not again. As a Pan-Africanist, I call for us to rise as guardians of our destiny, banishing foreign drones and their masters. Sovereignty is non-negotiable, as is the right of every African to live free from fear and hunger. Let’s seize this moment, unite, and forge a future where Africa’s heart beats strong and free.
