New Report from the Yale’s Humanitarian Research Laboratory (HRL) On RSF Possessing Drone at Nyala Airport

Sudanhorizon – Mohamed Osman Adam

The people nomads in Kordofan have a queer proverbial expression that they do not use except when the nakedness of a shameful act committed by a person is exposed but the owner does not know, so they remind him that the situation with you is like a “goat’s tail” that does not cover anything and leaves everything on the back of the goat exposed and open.

I could not find a clearer or simpler proverbial expression that reflects the situation of the militia and those who support it with weapons in front of the cameras of the Humanitarian Research Laboratory at Yale University of America for Public Health.

The new report published by the laboratory revealed, using satellite imagery, thermal images and comparisons that the Rapid Support Militia are in possession of a number of drones at Nyala airport and have actually started using them to attack not the army, the mobilized individuals or the forces affiliated with the armed struggle movements, but rather targeting civilians from the people of Omdurman and Atbara, destroying their hospitals, electricity supply station, water services, and even in shabby huts, makeshift dwelling, covered with plastic sheets where the displaced sought refuge from the whims of those thirsty for lethality and bloodshed, and even humanitarian aid workers were not exempted from such aggression.

As happened in the Zamzam area for the recently displaced people who had been subjected to such bombing and shelling.

The focused and direct report the laboratory prepared this time under the supervision of the Director of the Faculty of the Humanitarian Research Laboratory (HRL) at the Yale School of Public Health, Dr. Kav Khoshnoud, and the analysis and production of this report was supervised by the Executive Director of the Laboratory, Mr. Nathaniel Raymond and Caitlin Howarth, and the analysis and production of the reports were carried out by the Conflict Analysis Team at the Humanitarian Research Laboratory.

First: The main results of the analysis of the situation in Nyala with regard to the drones

The Humanitarian Research Laboratory (HRL) of the Yale School of Public Health identified six advanced drones (UAVs) at Nyala International Airport, which is controlled by the Rapid Support Militia (RSF), based on satellite images on Thursday, April 24, 2025. “This is the largest number of drones identified on the airstrip since the RSF takeover of Nyala airport,” analysts commented, and is clearly visible in satellite imagery so far.

Since December 9, 2024, only one or four Chinese-made CH-95 or FH-95 drones have regularly appeared in satellite imagery at Nyala airport. The report says the increase in drones at Nyala airport indicates that the RSF “continues to receive shipments of advanced weapons systems. These advanced drones may be capable of surveillance, long-range strikes, electronic surveillance and attacks,” the report adds, describing –accompanied by clear images of the drones parked at the airport – that the six wings of each of these drones are about 12 meters long and their length from nose to tail is about 8 meters. These sizes and dimensions correspond to the length and width of the drones that were first seen at Nyala airport in satellite image. The report explains that Yale HRL has assessed these drones as FH-95s compliant, consistent with another Reuters assessment of these drones as CH-95s compliant. The report confirms that all drones are compatible with the FH-95s.

The report confirms that all four drones visible in high-resolution satellite images (VHR) on April 21, 2025 in the same or similar positions match all dimensions visible in satellite images: about 12 meters, approximately 8 meters long, and the tail wings are approximately 3 meters wide, the tail wing configuration of the double boom tail with flared wings or flared ends, and the report notes that the first reports of flights to Nyala Airport have been registered since Rapid support entering the city on September 21, 2024. These flights have reportedly been happening sporadically since that time.

The Sudanese Armed Forces have been carrying out regular air strikes on Nyala airport after reports of flights landing there. On 24 February 2025, the RSF reportedly shot down an IL-76 SAF outside Nyala, and on 3 April 2025, the RSF reportedly shot down an SAF A-12 outside El Fashir, North Darfur.

Second: What the report summarized:

The report reaches a summary in which it says – and this we convey as per verbatim as it says proverb says – “The increase in drones in Nyala indicates that it is likely that the RSF continues to receive military support during mass atrocities, including arson attacks, extrajudicial killings, detention of women, girls and youth, conflict-related sexual violence, extrajudicial detention, and (cause) the mass displacement of hundreds of thousands of people in Zamzam camp. for the displaced, about 165 kilometers north of Nyala airport.” Third, the methodological approach used by the researchers is to integrate data to analyze remote sensing and open-source data This report was prepared by matching and emphasizing open-source data, including social media, local news reports, multimedia, and other reports with remote sensing data, including satellite imagery and thermal sensor data.

The researchers analyzed open-source data via social media, news reports and other publicly available sources to identify and verify incidents. Analysts assess the credibility and reliability of open-source data based on the level of source detail, past credibility and confirmation of other independent sources. Remote sensing and satellite image analysis is based on multi-time change detection, which involves comparing two or more satellite images of the same area taken at different times to reveal differences in color, optical properties, and the presence, absence or reposition of objects across images.

Fourth: Limitations

There are significant limitations to the methodology of data integration. Sudan’s information environment is not widespread, and there is likely to be significant reporting bias by those reporting open source. Tools and techniques face significant challenges when evaluating activities such as extrajudicial detention, conflict-related sexual violence and conflict-related injuries, particularly in environments with limited data.

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