Sudan’s army reports shooting down RSF CH‑95 drone as Burhan vows to defeat militias
Sudan’s military says an AKINCI drone has downed a Chinese‑made CH‑95 operated by the Rapid Support Forces near Nyala, while army chief Abdel Fattah al‑Burhan promises to eliminate the militia and free Darfur.
Sudan’s war is increasingly playing out in the air as imported drones clash above Darfur and commanders promise to keep fighting.
Sudanese military sources say one of the army’s AKINCI drones shot down a Chinese‑made CH‑95 drone operated by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) near Nyala. The RSF is described as being backed by the United Arab Emirates. The incident highlights how foreign‑supplied systems are shaping the conflict’s course.
The reported downing of the CH‑95 came as army chief and Transitional Sovereignty Council chairman Abdel Fattah al‑Burhan made a speech promising to eliminate RSF militias. He said the goal is to liberate Sudan, including Darfur, and to prevent RSF fighters from remaining in areas they have entered.
Separate footage from a stadium event in Khartoum showed Burhan’s guards carrying Sarsılmaz SAR 56 assault rifles made in Turkey, with custom camouflage paint. The rifles are relatively rare and indicate how external suppliers’ weapons are now embedded in Sudan’s security structures.
For civilians near Nyala and across Darfur, the growing use of drones adds another layer of risk. Unmanned aircraft can strike vehicles and buildings without warning and can hover over populated areas, making it harder for people to judge when it is safe to move or stay.
Reports that RSF units are withdrawing from Sudan’s Blue Nile governorate toward Ethiopian territory to redeploy to Darfur suggest that fighting in the west could intensify further. Movements across porous borders also raise the risk that neighboring countries’ internal dynamics will intersect with Sudan’s war.
Each CH‑95 loss reduces RSF’s ability to monitor army positions and direct its own operations. For the Sudanese army, each successful intercept by the AKINCI strengthens its claim that control of airspace is a decisive advantage.
Key developments to track include any further reports of CH‑95 drones being shot down, public responses from states alleged to be supplying arms, and evidence that RSF redeployment through border regions is shifting the balance of forces in Darfur.
Sources
- OSINT