A NEW report today looked at the scale of innocent civilian deaths from drone strikes across several African states, underlining the urgent need for tighter arms controls.

NGO Drone Wars UK examined the proliferation of Medium Altitude, Long Endurance armed drones exported from manufacturers in Turkey, China and Iran.

It linked them to the mounting civilian deaths from strikes across Ethiopia, Mali, Burkina Faso, Nigeria, Somalia and Sudan.

The investigation estimated that at least 943 civilians have been killed in at least 50 separate incidents between November 2021 and November 2024.

The drones are mostly used during domestic military campaigns against armed insurgent groups that regularly fail to distinguish between civilians and combatants, Drone Wars said.

Of the six states investigated, it verified five as operating Turkish-made Bayraktar TB-2 drones.

Several also operated Chinese Wing Loong II and Iranian Mohajer-6 armed drones.

In one incident in Ethiopia, more than 85 civilians were killed in a strike on the village of Ch’obi, in October 2022. 

An “error” of military intelligence killed at least 85 civilians who gathered to celebrate the Islamic festival of Mawlid, in two misdirected strikes in Nigeria in December 2023.

Drone Wars UK researcher Cora Morris said: “These cases show the urgent need for increased proliferation controls on armed drones, and the clear failures of responsibility of those exporting these weapons in providing them to governments with seemingly little intention of upholding international humanitarian law.

“The extent of civilian suffering demonstrated in this report should make clear the threat posed by the rapid expansion of drone warfare worldwide, facilitated by access to ever-cheaper weapons systems produced by irresponsible profit-chasing manufacturers.” 

The group has called on the British government to work with other states, civil society and victim groups to develop robust international controls on armed drone transfers and use.