Sudan closes Ethiopian consulate after drone complaint
Khartoum retaliated by expelling Ethiopian diplomats following a formal complaint to the UN Security Council.
Sudan has closed the Ethiopian consulate in Gedaref and expelled its diplomatic staff, retaliating after Ethiopia shuttered the Sudanese consulate in Assosa. This diplomatic severing followed Sudan’s November 1 complaint to the UN Security Council and the African Union Peace and Security Council.
Khartoum accused Addis Ababa of allowing the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) to use Ethiopian territory for drone strikes, documenting 70 attacks involving 187 drones over the past year. Ethiopia denied these claims and counter-accused Khartoum, Cairo, and Asmara of backing Tigrayan fighters.
The shared border is becoming a site for regional rivalries involving Egypt, Eritrea, and the UAE, threatening a multi-front proxy war. This escalating tension is fuelled by Sudanese anxiety over Ethiopia’s partnership with the UAE and Ethiopia’s historical distrust of the Sudanese military establishment.
Why it mattersSudanese civilians have been affected by drone strikes documented by the Sudanese government.