Sudan accuses Ethiopia of cross-border Drone strikes

Sudan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the Sudanese government has been monitoring the entry of drones from Ethiopia into Sudan throughout February and early March, describing the incursions as “hostile acts” and a violation of national sovereignty. The ministry said the unmanned aerial vehicles entered Sudanese airspace from Ethiopian territory and carried out strikes on targets inside the country. It condemned the activity as “blatant aggression” and a “clear violation” of Sudan’s sovereignty. Khartoum warned Ethiopian authorities of what it described as the consequences of such actions and reaffirmed it is right to defend its territorial integrity.

The Sudanese foreign ministry added that it would take the necessary measures to confront what it called repeated attacks, asserting it is right to respond through “various methods and means” to safeguard the country’s sovereignty and unity.

The accusation follows a Reuters investigation published earlier in February alleging that Ethiopia has been operating a covert training facility for thousands of fighters linked to Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF). At the time of the investigation, Reuters reported that the camp represented the clearest indication yet that Ethiopia may have become directly involved in Sudan’s ongoing civil war.

Sources cited in the investigation, including Ethiopian officials, claimed that the United Arab Emirates financed the facility and provided trainers as well as logistical assistance.

According to the report, the training site is located in Ethiopia’s Benishangul-Gumuz region near the Sudanese border. Satellite imagery and witness accounts indicated large-scale construction activity, including hundreds of tents and heavy vehicle movement beginning late last year.

These developments come at a time when the conflict in Sudan is rapidly evolving, both in scope and scale, while the number of regional and international actors involved continues to expand. What began as a power struggle between rival military factions has increasingly assumed regional dimensions, drawing in neighboring states and external powers with competing strategic interests.

Sudan’s military leadership has maintained a notably close relationship with the Eritrean regime. At the same time, it has recalibrated other regional ties. Previously, Sudan’s military authorities severed diplomatic relations with Kenya, accusing Nairobi of supporting the RSF. Those allegations significantly strained bilateral relations and deepened divisions within the region over how to respond to the war.

More recently, developments surrounding sanctions have intensified political tensions. An updated sanctions list revealed that the brother of RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo had reportedly been using a Kenyan passport and a UAE-issued identification card. The disclosure triggered political uproar within Kenyan opposition circles, raising questions about regional entanglements, and the credibility of official positions.

There has also been mounting evidence suggesting covert support for the RSF from the United Arab Emirates. Meanwhile, other regional powers, including Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Egypt, remain central to the broader strategic balance surrounding the Sudan war.

In contrast, Ethiopia has long sought to distance itself from the conflict in its official diplomatic posture. However, recent revelations have introduced new layers of ambiguity and concern. Following reports of an Ethiopian military camp linked to the RSF, a senior adviser to prime minister Abiy Ahmed stated that the country would not remain a “passive bystander.” However, the recent allegations that drones were launched from Ethiopian territory are further complicating Ethiopia’s role in the war.

These developments underlines how the conflict in Sudan is no longer confined within its borders. It has increasingly entangled neighboring states and international actors in a war that has claimed tens of thousands of lives, displaced millions, and evolved into one of the world’s most severe humanitarian crises.