Since the conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) began in Sudan in April 2023, countless civilians have been killed, millions have been internally displaced, and millions face famine. There is a large and growing body of credible evidence documenting how, during their conduct in the conflict, the warring parties have committed widespread war crimes, crimes against humanity, and serious human rights violations, including in the Darfur region.

Against this backdrop, photographs and videos taken by fighters and civilians and posted on social media indicate that the warring parties have access to, and are using, modern,foreign-made weapons and equipment. The emergence of visuals of equipment that Sudanese actors were not previously known to have, or that began to be used more frequently months after the outbreak of the conflict, suggests that the warring parties acquired some of these weapons after April 2023. In one case, lot number markings—alphanumeric codes assigned to a specific manufacturing batch—clearly indicate that the ammunition was manufactured in 2023.

Human Rights Watch research indicates that some of this equipment is being used in the Darfur region, despite the arms embargo established by the United Nations Security Council since 2004.

In response, the Business and Human Rights Centre contacted over the companies mentioned in the report. Only DJI responded. We were unable to reach Military Industry Corporation because of a lack of publicly available contact information.