The United Nations voiced alarm Thursday after a deadly drone strike near the Sudan-Chad border, warning that expanding violence threatens civilians and fragile regional stability.
Officials said the attack struck the Chadian side of Tine, a border town increasingly exposed as shifting frontlines spill beyond Sudan’s prolonged internal conflict.
UN deputy spokesman Farhan Haq told reporters that at least 17 civilians were killed and many others injured in Wednesday’s strike near the frontier.
He said the incident underscored the devastating human cost of the Sudanese conflict, where violence increasingly reaches communities once considered distant from active battle zones.
Haq warned that the growing use of advanced drones by both sides is widening the battlefield, accelerating civilian harm and complicating efforts to contain the fighting.
The strike also raises fears that neighbouring countries could be drawn deeper into the conflict, increasing risks of broader regional instability and cross-border confrontation.
Border communities, already vulnerable to displacement and economic disruption, now face mounting insecurity as weapons technology extends the reach of combat operations.
The United Nations urged all warring parties to immediately de-escalate hostilities and comply fully with international humanitarian law designed to protect civilians during armed conflicts.
Haq called on the sides to return to negotiations, stressing that only a sustainable political solution can halt escalating violence and prevent further regional fallout.
As diplomatic appeals continue, the drone strike stands as another stark reminder of a war whose shadows increasingly stretch beyond Sudan’s borders.
