Egypt’s Hidden Drone War: How a Secret Desert Base Is Fueling Sudan’s Conflict
On February 2, 2026, The New York Times reported on an investigative effort that found that Egypt has secretly been using a secret airbase in its Western Desert to conduct drone attacks on Sudan. This is a campaign supported by satellite shots, flight logs and official testimonials that prove that Egyptian military action in Sudan extends beyond political partnership and diplomatic assistance.
The purposes of this media campaign will involve making people around the world aware of the Egyptian military assistance to the Sudanese Armed Forces, such as direct strike attacks without leaving the Egyptian territory, which have significant geopolitical and humanitarian consequences.
For at least six months, advanced military drones at a secret base in Egypt have been carrying out strikes in Sudan. Their target is a ruthless paramilitary group that has been battling the Sudanese military w/@declanwalsh, @malachybrowne https://t.co/7yBJBBLOho
— Eric Schmitt (@EricSchmittNYT) February 2, 2026
Secret Military Operations Revealed
A secret Egyptian airbase was discovered by investigators near East Oweinat and was masqueraded as an agricultural project in the desert. According to satellite imagery, there are big expansions, such as several runways, hangars, and military communications infrastructure. This base has at least been involved in more than six months of operations on Turkish-made Bayraktar Akinci drones, which are the high-end unmanned combat aircraft, to target deep targets in Sudan. Such attacks are especially directed at the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in places like the Darfur and Kordofan.
This intervention will be a significant departure to the more passive intervention in the civil war in Sudan in the past and is a direct military intervention.
International Outcry and Calls for Accountability
This discovery has raised quite a commotion amongst the human rights groups, advocacy groups, and international organizations. There have been numerous calls of the United Nations investigations into the military activities of Egypt, which demands international powers to investigate foreign actions that have infringed the sovereignty of Sudan and contributed to the continued conflict in the country. The campaign also questions the international institutions to respond to the role of covert military support towards instability and harming of civilians.
Military Alliances and Regional Impact
The inquiry points out the collaboration between Egypt and Turkey in using sophisticated drones, which shows that foreign assistance can encourage another violent war. It also highlights the larger proxy war of the countries such as Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE that support various sides of the Sudanese civil war making the conflict a complicated geopolitical battlefield.
This has been a cause of increased destabilization apprehension in the entire Horn of Africa and Red Sea.
Humanitarian Consequences and the Call for Peace
This covert drone program has far-reaching humanitarian consequences beyond strategic and political matters. Sudan is already facing one of the greatest displacement crisis in the world with millions of civilians being caught in years of constant fighting. This campaign outlines the importance of diplomatic resolution of the situation and the need of international pressure to focus on the safety of civilians rather than on the militarization further.
