Chad Bombing Reignites Debate Over Turkey’s Role in Sudan War

Sudan’s war has entered a more dangerous phase after violence spilled across the country’s borders, raising fresh concerns over the regional consequences of the conflict and the growing involvement of foreign powers.

The Chadian army has accused the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) of carrying out an airstrike against a convoy inside Chadian territory.

According to the Chadian General Staff, the attack occurred at about 8 p.m. on August 20 in the Mourdi department of Ennedi-Est province, near the Sudanese border. It said aircraft and drones believed to belong to the SAF or its allies pursued and struck the convoy more than 100 kilometres inside Chad.

The convoy was reportedly carrying reinforcements for the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which the Sudanese army regards as a rebel group.

The United States has condemned the reported airstrikes and called for an end to external military support for Sudan’s warring parties.

Massad Boulos, the US President’s Senior Adviser for Arab and African Affairs, said Washington opposed the expansion of violence beyond Sudan’s borders and stressed that there is no military solution to the conflict.

“The parties must immediately accept a humanitarian truce, protect civilians, and allow unhindered humanitarian access,” he said.

Boulos also called for the United Nations arms embargo, currently focused on Darfur, to be expanded to cover the whole of Sudan. He accused foreign powers of contributing to the escalation of the conflict.

“The UN Security Council must also act with urgency to ensure that the arms embargo and sanctions regime reflect the realities of the conflict today and hold those fueling and expanding this war accountable. External financial and military support to the warring parties must stop,” he said.»

The United States has also warned that external support is intensifying the war, while the growing use of armed drones is complicating efforts to advance a political settlement.

The war began on April 15, 2023, when fighting erupted between the SAF and RSF amid a deepening power struggle over Sudan’s political transition and the proposed integration of the RSF into the regular army. Despite repeated ceasefire efforts and international diplomatic initiatives, the conflict has continued.

The reported strike inside Chad has now raised renewed questions about the SAF’s expanding aerial capabilities and the extent to which they rely on foreign military technology—particularly Turkish-made drones.

French Report Highlights Turkey’s Involvement

A report by the French newspaper Le Monde has identified Turkey as a significant military supporter of the Sudanese army since the outbreak of the war.

The report said the Turkish government supplied Bayraktar TB2 and Akıncı drones and deployed instructors alongside them. It also reported that Saudi Arabia financed purchases of Turkish drones and Pakistani weapons for the SAF.

The report comes amid Turkey’s deepening political relationship with Sudan’s military leadership.

On August 7, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan signed the Makkah Joint Defense Agreement, under which an armed attack against any one of the three countries would be regarded as an attack against all three.

According to Le Monde, cooperation among the three countries over Sudan predates the agreement, with Riyadh reportedly financing Turkish drones and Pakistani weapons for the SAF. The newspaper also reported a $1.5 billion Pakistani arms contract involving fighter jets, armoured vehicles and drones.

Since late 2024, Turkish-made Bayraktar TB2 and Akıncı drones have reportedly become part of the Sudanese army’s expanding aerial arsenal. The SAF has also used Iranian-made Mohajer-6 drones, while Chinese-made CH-95 and FH-95 systems have reportedly been deployed by the RSF.

The growing presence of foreign-supplied drone technology highlights the increasingly internationalised nature of Sudan’s war.

There is, however, no concrete evidence that a Bayraktar drone carried out the specific strike inside Chad. What is increasingly documented is the presence of Turkish military technology and technical support within the Sudanese conflict.

In March 2025, The Washington Post reported that Turkish defence company Baykar had supplied the Sudanese army with at least $120 million worth of military equipment, including TB2 drones and hundreds of warheads. The investigation, based on contracts, correspondence, registries and visual material, also documented Baykar personnel providing technical support in Sudan.

In May 2026, Chatham House examined reports of Turkish drone supplies to the SAF while noting Ankara’s denial of direct deliveries.

The relationship subsequently took on a clearer political dimension in June, when Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan met Sudanese army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan in Ankara. The Turkish presidency said the two countries were seeking to expand cooperation in trade, agriculture, energy and defence.

This places Turkey’s role in Sudan beyond the question of individual drone deliveries. Ankara is deepening its relationship with Sudan’s military leadership while simultaneously presenting itself as a diplomatic actor seeking a role in efforts to resolve the conflict.

A Relationship That Predates the War

Turkey’s relationship with Sudan stretches back decades. Erdoğan’s 2017 meeting with former Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir and the agreement to redevelop Suakin Island underscored Ankara’s strategic interest in Sudan and its Red Sea coastline.

The potential economic stakes are also significant.

Sudan’s eventual reconstruction will require enormous investment in infrastructure, energy, agriculture and other sectors. Its Red Sea coastline, agricultural potential and mineral resources also offer significant strategic and commercial opportunities.

This means foreign powers are increasingly influencing not only how the war is fought but also the interests that could shape Sudan after the fighting ends.

Turkey’s expanding relationship with the SAF is part of that wider geopolitical contest.

The reported strike inside Chad demonstrates another dimension of the crisis: Sudan’s war is becoming increasingly difficult to contain within its own borders.

As weapons, money, military technology and political alliances flow across the region, the conflict risks becoming not only a devastating Sudanese civil war but also a broader regional security challenge.

The key question is therefore no longer simply who is fighting in Sudan, but how much the country’s war is being shaped by the foreign powers supporting the competing sides—and what those relationships will mean for Sudan and the wider region when the guns eventually fall silent.

Sources and Further Reading

Le Monde: ““La guerre au Soudan, premier front du pacte de La Mecque entre l’Arabie saoudite, la Turquie et le Pakistan”” (https://reference-url-citation.invalid/0)

US Senior Advisor for Africa: “US Senior Advisor for Africa on X” (https://reference-url-citation.invalid/1)

Additional contributor:
Kambal Abdelwahid Ahmed — Sudanese journalist and regional affairs correspondent covering Sudan, Africa, the Middle East, politics, security, conflict and humanitarian affairs. He has extensive experience in journalism and international media and is accredited by several African media councils, including Kenya’s Media Council.