Africa’s Drone Race Accelerates as Security Threats Rise, but Fears Over Civilian Harm Grow

Kenya, December 8 2025 - Africa’s defence industry is moving rapidly into a new era of unmanned warfare, with military drones becoming central to security strategies from Kenya to South Sudan, Ethiopia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The shift was on full display at Egypt’s Defence Expo (EDEX) last week, where governments and private firms showcased surveillance, attack, and long-range reconnaissance drones, signalling what was described as Africa’s “scramble for a growing drone market.”

At the expo, Amstone International Group consultant Abdalla Darwish told said, “It is a pride for all of us to have a product with this kind of power available globally.” His comments reflect the continent’s accelerating adoption of drones as states confront insurgencies, cross-border banditry, and geopolitical rivalries that are reshaping regional security.

Red Cat Holdings marketing executive Paul Higgins echoed the same push for modernisation, saying that technology is advancing aggressively right now. But as investment rises, so do concerns about accountability, civilian safety, and the expanding use of drones in internal conflicts, especially where transparency and oversight remain weak.

A look on Kenya From Surveillance to Strike-Capable Assistance

Kenya has been steadily integrating drones into its security operations, especially in remote regions where banditry and livestock raids have persisted for decades. During operations in Meru County in 2024, a report quoted police officials saying, “Drone footage captured the suspected attackers moving through the forest.”

Deputy Vice President who was then, the Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki, defending the investment, said, “Technology is now at the centre of our security operations.”

He has also been heard mentioning how drones are being used to mine out Bandits in Baringo hence, the birth of the phrase ‘Noma si Noma’ Kenya’s new reliance on unmanned surveillance comes amid increased international cooperation, including deals signed with Western defence companies. Analysts say the speed of adoption is unprecedented, but warn that clear operating procedures and civilian safeguards must keep pace.

Across Africa, Drones Are Changing the Shape of Conflict

In South Sudan, where clashes between armed groups and government forces continue in parts of Upper Nile and Jonglei, drones have increasingly appeared in battlefield reports. A recent video captured the panic among civilians when a resident of Malakal said, “People are terrified. We don’t know when the drones will come or who they will hit.”

A humanitarian worker in Upper Nile told News outlets that, “Drones don’t discriminate. The people dying are women and children.” Similar patterns were documented in Ethiopia, where the federal government deployed drones during the Tigray conflict. A Mekelle resident told reporters that, “These drones are changing the war. They strike without warning.”

Civilian protection groups say such testimonies are part of a growing trend. An Airwars investigator mentioned that, “Drone strikes across Africa show a striking pattern of civilian harm.”

Another researcher from the Centre for Civilians in Conflict (CIVIC) warned, “The continent is becoming a testing ground for drone warfare, and civilians are paying the price.”

A Booming Market Driven by Insecurity and Geopolitics

The rise in drone procurement coincides with heightened insecurity across the Horn of Africa and the Sahel, from al-Shabaab in Somalia to rebel movements in South Sudan and eastern DR Congo. With traditional troop deployments proving costly and dangerous, governments are seeking faster, more precise tools.

But defence analysts note that the growth is also geopolitical. Egypt, Morocco, South Africa, Nigeria, and Kenya are becoming regional drone hubs, working with manufacturers from the U.S., Turkey, China, Israel, and the UAE.