Ethiopia And Sudan Trade Accusations Over Rebel Support And Drone Attacks
Escalating cross-border accusations between Sudan and Ethiopia threaten to draw regional powers into a wider conflict across the fragile Horn of Africa.
The Sudanese government and Ethiopian authorities have traded reciprocal accusations of interference in their respective armed conflicts, raising regional concern that the two neighbors are sliding into proxy warfare.
Sudan's military-led government stated that drones launched from inside Ethiopia struck targets in Sudan, including Khartoum International Airport. Sudanese officials claimed that the attacks were carried out using equipment supplied by the United Arab Emirates in support of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces. Sudan declared that it reserves the right to respond to the incident and recalled its ambassador from Addis Ababa.
Ethiopia's Foreign Ministry rejected the allegations, calling them unfounded. Addis Ababa countercharged that Sudan has become a sanctuary for hostile organizations, specifically elements linked to the Tigray People's Liberation Front. Ethiopian authorities asserted that Sudan is arming, financing and facilitating cross-border incursions by Tigrayan fighters along Ethiopia's western frontier.
The Tigray People's Liberation Front denied participating in any Sudanese-backed military campaign, dismissing the claims as irresponsible rhetoric.
Tensions between the two countries have built upon long-standing disputes, including territorial competition over the fertile al-Fashaga border district. Disagreements also persist over the operation of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, where Sudan has grown closer to Egypt's diplomatic position.
Both states are already dealing with internal conflicts. The Sudanese Armed Forces have been battling the Rapid Support Forces since April 2023. Ethiopia's federal government is confronting armed insurgencies in multiple regions following the two-year northern war that formally ended in 2022.
External geopolitical alignments have added further friction to the border standoff. Regional observers point to competing foreign alliances, with the United Arab Emirates maintaining close ties with Ethiopia while Sudan builds defense relationships with Egypt and Eritrea.
Sudanese diplomats said they plan to present documentation of the cross-border drone strikes to the United Nations Security Council.
