Sudan Accuses Ethiopia of Enabling RSF Drone Attacks

GOOBJOOG NEWS | KHARTOUM: Sudan has lodged formal complaints against Ethiopia with the United Nations Security Council and the African Union, accusing its neighbour of allowing the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) to launch drone attacks against targets inside Sudan from Ethiopian territory.

The diplomatic move marks a further escalation in tensions between the two countries, already strained by competing accusations of support for armed groups involved in regional conflicts.

In a statement, Sudan’s Foreign Ministry described the alleged use of Ethiopian territory for attacks against Sudan as a hostile act and a violation of international law. It called on the international community to intervene.

A report released by Sudan’s army-aligned Transitional Sovereignty Council said authorities had recorded 70 attacks involving 187 one-way attack drones between February 15 and October 27.

It also reported that 484 civilians had been killed or wounded, while 176 Sudanese soldiers were killed and another 200 injured.

The council identified several locations in Ethiopia that it alleged were used to launch the drones, including Asosa airport, Bahir Dar airbase and the Kurmuk-Gizen border area. The claims have not been independently verified.

Sudan said the attacks targeted residential neighbourhoods, hospitals and critical infrastructure, including electricity and fuel facilities, raising concerns over the impact of the expanding use of drones on civilians and essential services.

Ethiopia has previously rejected accusations that it supports the RSF. Addis Ababa has instead accused Sudan’s military of backing armed groups linked to the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), allegations Khartoum has denied.

The dispute unfolds as Sudan’s army and the RSF continue a war that began in April 2023 following a breakdown in relations over plans to integrate the paramilitary force into the national military.

Both sides have increasingly relied on armed drones, which have extended the reach of attacks beyond front-line positions. Recent strikes on electricity facilities in army-controlled areas have also caused widespread power outages.

The United Nations has warned of the growing civilian toll from drone attacks in Sudan, with more than 1,100 people reportedly killed in such strikes during the first half of 2026.

The latest diplomatic confrontation adds a regional dimension to the conflict, with Sudan and Ethiopia sharing a long border and facing growing security concerns linked to armed groups and instability in the wider Horn of Africa.