Foreign instructors training RSF on long-range drones at Nyala University base

NYALA – Foreign military instructors are training fighters from Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) at Nyala University’s “Mossei” compound to operate long-range and attack drones, according to residents and RSF security sources familiar with the program.

The base, located in the southern part of Nyala city, has become a key operational hub since the RSF seized control of much of South Darfur in 2023. Residents say the facility has been transformed from an academic campus into a drone warfare training ground under the supervision of foreign operatives.

A resident living south of the Turkish Hospital told Sudans Post on Sunday afternoon that drone activity around the area has become a daily routine and that flights often take place at night.

“Every evening, I see drones flying westward toward Wadi Sekali, then returning to Nyala University, which has become a training center for the RSF,” the resident said.

An RSF security official, who spoke to Sudans Post on condition of anonymity, confirmed that the forces are undergoing advanced training by “foreign specialists.” He said the training focuses on tactical use of reconnaissance and kamikaze drones in both urban and rural operations.

“I was present at the Nyala University military operations area and saw how the drones are operated there,” the official said. “Afterward, I observed our fighters using new tactics in drone warfare.”

He added that RSF fighters have recently begun deploying suicide drones at night, suggesting that the systems are equipped with night-vision or thermal imaging cameras, allowing strikes and surveillance during darkness — a major shift in the RSF’s battlefield capabilities.

Since early 2024, the RSF has increasingly relied on unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to offset losses in manpower and extend its reach against Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) positions.

Investigations by conflict monitors and open-source analysts have documented the RSF’s growing fleet of Iranian- and Chinese-made drones, as well as modified commercial models used for explosive delivery.

Regional sources and analysts have also linked the RSF to the presence of foreign mercenaries, including individuals with prior combat experience in Latin America. This year, several Colombian ex-military contractors were spotted in Darfur assisting the RSF in drone operations, technical maintenance, and battlefield coordination.

A second resident from the same neighborhood said RSF fighters stationed at Nyala University have been receiving regular training sessions from these foreign groups.

“We see the drones flying high every evening, heading south loaded with something we can’t identify, and then they return to the base,” the resident said.

The RSF’s intensified use of drones — from reconnaissance to attack missions — marks a technological shift in Sudan’s nearly three-year war. Once known for ground assaults and looting campaigns, the paramilitary force is now embracing modern aerial tactics, reflecting both external support and growing sophistication.

Military analysts warn that this evolution could prolong the conflict, giving the RSF the ability to strike deep into SAF-held territory while evading traditional air defenses.

It also underscores the regionalization of the war, where foreign trainers and mercenaries play a growing role in shaping Sudan’s future battlefield.