Rubio calls Sudan war a “proxy engagement” as Sudan Ethiopia relations deteriorate

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that Sudan’s civil war had become a “proxy engagement” involving multiple countries backing rival armed factions, and urged external actors to push the warring sides toward a peace deal.

“Sudan has become a proxy engagement between multiple countries that are backing some of the elements that are fighting,” Rubio said in remarks addressing the conflict. “There are other countries that are not directly involved but have allowed their territories to be used as routes to ship weaponry,” he said.

Rubio said ending the conflict would require outside powers supporting the combatants to pressure them into negotiations.

“We need to bring this conflict to an end, and the way to bring this conflict to an end is for the countries and parties supporting the fighting elements to force these elements toward a peace deal that ends this conflict,” he said.

Rubio’s comments came as diplomatic cracks that had been building over the last few months between Sudan and Ethiopia emerged more openly.

This week, Sudan’s military has accused both Ethiopia and the United Arab Emirates of playing a direct role in attacks on Sudanese territory, claiming it possesses evidence that drones targeting civilian infrastructure, including Khartoum airport, were launched from Ethiopia’s Bahir Dar airport. According to Sudanese officials, multiple drone strikes targeted regions including White Nile, Blue Nile, and Kordofan states, with one aircraft reportedly intercepted and identified as belonging to the UAE through its serial number and manufacturer records.

The military described the incidents as violations of Sudan’s sovereignty and international law, warning that its armed forces were prepared to respond. Sudan’s representative to the United Nations also issued a warning to countries allegedly fueling the conflict, suggesting that external interference could eventually have wider regional consequences.

Ethiopia has denied the allegations, calling them unfounded and harmful to the longstanding relationship between the two neighboring countries. Addis Ababa said it had shown restraint despite what it described as serious threats to its own security stemming from Sudan’s civil war. Ethiopian authorities further accused factions within Sudan of supporting Tigray People's Liberation Front fighters and facilitating armed activities along Ethiopia’s western border. The Ethiopian Foreign Ministry also argued that Sudan was becoming a center for anti-Ethiopian groups and claimed that Sudan’s accusations were being influenced by outside actors pursuing their own interests in the region.

In a statement, the TPLF rejected the claims made by the Ethiopian government and denied the accusations. “We categorically reject these accusations. They are unfounded, irresponsible, and indicative of a recurring pattern of deflection through disinformation,” the TPLF said in its statement.

The dispute comes amid growing scrutiny over the involvement of regional powers in Sudan’s conflict. While the UAE has long faced allegations of backing the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), Ethiopia’s role has only recently drawn increased attention. Reports, including a Reuters investigation, indicate that Ethiopia may be hosting a covert training facility near the Sudanese border where fighters are allegedly being prepared to support RSF operations, with claims that the UAE is providing financial and logistical assistance.

Previously, multiple credible international outlets and documented investigations widely reported the United Arab Emirates’ alleged involvement in the conflict in Sudan, including accusations that regional countries such as Chad, Libya, and Puntland — Somalia’s semi-autonomous region — have been used as transit hubs for weapons and logistical support. More recently, reports and diplomatic discussions have increasingly pointed to the possible use of Ethiopian territory as part of these regional supply and transit networks.

Ethiopia’s official position on the Sudanese conflict has long remained ambiguous, with Addis Ababa attempting to avoid direct alignment while maintaining strategic regional interests. However, recent diplomatic tensions between Khartoum and Addis Ababa have signaled what many observers view as Ethiopia’s growing involvement — or at minimum, increasing strategic proximity — to developments surrounding the war.

These escalating tensions have prompted Sudanese authorities to take additional security and military measures along the eastern frontier. Military sources who spoke with Sudan Tribune said that the Sudanese army had reinforced troop deployments in the East Gallabat, Basunda, and Al-Fashaga areas of Gedaref State near the Ethiopian border.

Rubio’s comments come amid this growing diplomatic rift between Addis Ababa and Khartoum, underscoring mounting international concern over the evolving regional dimensions of the Sudan war and the increasing involvement of neighboring states in an already complex conflict that has made Sudan one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.