Ethiopia has rejected accusations by Sudan’s military that it was involved in recent drone strikes inside Sudan, escalating tensions between the two neighbours as Sudan’s civil war continues to spill into regional diplomacy.
The dispute follows claims by Sudan’s armed forces that drone attacks targeting sites including Khartoum’s main airport and locations in western and central Sudan on Monday, originated from Ethiopian territory.
Sudan also alleged that external actors, including the United Arab Emirates (UAE), were involved in supplying and facilitating the drones. Khartoum subsequently recalled its ambassador to Ethiopia following the escalation.
In a statement on Tuesday, Ethiopia dismissed the allegations as unfounded and politically motivated, while accusing Sudan’s military leadership of attempting to externalise its internal conflict.
“Ethiopia rejects the latest baseless accusations made against it during the joint press conference by the Sudanese Armed Forces, Foreign Minister and military spokesperson,” the ministry said.
Sudan has been engulfed in conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) since April 2023. The war has increasingly shifted toward drone warfare, with repeated strikes reported across Khartoum and strategic regions including Kordofan, Blue Nile, and White Nile states.
Sudanese officials have accused Ethiopia of acting as a launch point for drone operations linked to attacks inside Sudan, while also pointing to UAE involvement in the conflict.
In its rejoinder, Ethiopia rejected any involvement in Sudan’s ongoing war and instead accused Sudanese forces of enabling armed groups operating against Ethiopian territory along their shared border. According to Ethiopia, Sudan’s military has supported armed elements described as “mercenaries,” facilitating cross-border incursions into Ethiopia.
“The Ethiopian Government has exercised restraint and refrained from publicising the grave violations of Ethiopia’s territorial integrity and national security committed by some belligerents in the Sudanese civil war,” the ministry said.
“The Sudanese Armed Forces have also provided arms and financial support to these mercenaries, thereby facilitating their incursions along Ethiopia’s western frontier.”
Ethiopia further argued that Khartoum’s actions were being influenced by external actors pursuing what it described as self-interested and destabilising objectives.
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