In an unprecedented move, Sudan has directly blamed Ethiopia for permitting unmanned aircraft to launch strikes from Ethiopian territory during February and March, marking the first time the nation has openly implicated its neighboring country in the brutal three-year internal conflict.
The accusation, made public through a Sudanese foreign ministry statement issued Monday evening, signals how one of the globe’s most devastating wars between government forces and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) is increasingly involving regional African powers and international actors.
Ethiopian officials from the prime minister’s office have yet to respond to requests for comment regarding these allegations. Reuters has been unable to independently confirm whether attack drones were indeed launched from Ethiopian soil.
The ongoing battle pits Sudan’s military against the RSF paramilitary organization in a devastating war that threatens to split the nation apart while forcing millions of citizens to abandon their homes.
While the foreign ministry statement didn’t identify specific attack locations, residents in the southeastern Blue Nile state near the Ethiopian border report witnessing minor clashes and drone strikes in recent weeks.
The SPLM-N rebel organization, which joined forces with the RSF last year, maintains control over portions of the Blue Nile region.
Sudan’s foreign ministry characterized the alleged drone operations as “a blatant violation of Sudanese sovereignty and an outright act of aggression against the Sudanese state.”
The statement continued with a stern warning: “The Sudanese government warns the Ethiopian authorities against the consequences of these hostile acts and affirms its right to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity, including the right to respond to such attacks by all available means.”
Reuters previously reported exclusively last month about Ethiopia operating a covert training facility for thousands of RSF fighters.
Neither Ethiopian government representatives, military officials, nor RSF leadership provided responses to detailed inquiries about that investigation. Sudan’s Armed Forces similarly remained silent on the matter.
Currently, the RSF maintains dominance over Sudan’s western Darfur region, while government forces control the eastern territories.
Both factions continue battling for supremacy in the central Kordofan region, which sits between their established areas of influence.
Unmanned aircraft have emerged as a crucial element in this conflict, enabling the RSF to challenge the traditional military’s aerial superiority while unfortunately contributing to widespread civilian harm.
