Surge in drone strikes across Africa leads to 1000 civilian deaths
Drone Wars UK’s recent report said military drone strikes have led to almost 1000 civilian deaths in Africa over the last three years.
According to North Africa Post on March 12th, the report entitled ‘Death on Delivery’ warned against the dangers of the unregulated spread of armed drones, particularly ones imported from countries such as China, Turkey, and Iran. These drones are increasing the numbers of civilians harmed in conflicts across the African continent.
Reports of drone strikes have been confirmed in six conflicts across Africa; Sudan, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Mali, Burkina Faso and Somalia. Ethiopia had the most reported strikes with over 490 civilians killed in 26 strikes by the Ethiopian government, the strikes were intended to target the Tigray People’s Liberation Front.
Additionally, government-ordered drone strikes in Mali and Burkina Faso led to 64 and 100 civilian deaths.
Armed drones have proved such a popular weapon due to the idea that they are very precise, however the reality is far different, with strikes killing innocent civilians whilst failing to achieve their intended military objectives.
As well as this, the usage of “medium altitude, long endurance” (MALE) drones, such as Turkey’s Bayraktar TB2, has exacerbated the situation, as they have the capacity to kill higher numbers of people. MALE drones can be flown remotely for many hours over longer distances.
Drone Wars UK has called for urgent international intervention in order to prevent further escalation, warning that if these weapons are not effectively controlled, more civilian lives will be lost. The report emphasized how the proliferation of drone usage in modern warfare poses a massive human rights crisis.
North Africa Post, Maghrebi, Drone Wars UK
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