Sudan blames Ethiopia for RSF drone strikes

The border between Sudan and Ethiopia has become a flashpoint in the ongoing civil war, with formal diplomatic disputes now entering the international arena. Sudan lodged official complaints with the United Nations Security Council and the African Union Peace and Security Council, accusing Addis Ababa of allowing the Rapid Support Forces to launch attacks from Ethiopian soil.

The Sudanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and military intelligence compiled a report detailing 70 separate assaults between February and October. These operations involved 187 one-way attack drones. The frequency of strikes increased sharply in the final month, with 28 attacks recorded in October alone using 97 drones. Specific launch sites identified in the report include Asosa Airport, the Kurmuk-Gizen border area, and the Bahir Dar airbase in the Amhara region.

A separate report from the Transitional Sovereignty Council quantified the human cost of these strikes. Between February 15 and October 27, drone attacks killed 176 Sudanese soldiers and 484 civilians. The strikes targeted infrastructure as well as people. According to Abdul Kareem Al-Almin Ahmed, a border affairs specialist, more than 90 percent of power stations in Sudanese cities are currently out of service due to the damage.

Ethiopia denies the accusations and points to Sudan’s support for Tigray-linked rebels as a reciprocal grievance. The diplomatic friction extends to water rights, specifically regarding the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam on the Nile River. Egypt and Sudan, as downstream nations, argue the dam threatens their water security. Al-Almin noted that the dispute involves intertwined factors, including the dam and the recent alignment between the Sudanese army and Egypt.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the civilian toll, calling the use of drones appalling. Recent attacks highlight the severity of the conflict. On October 3, a strike on displaced families in Wad el-Mahi killed 26 women and four children. Another attack in Nyala on October 26 killed at least 21 people and injured 40. The broader war has displaced 13 million people and left thousands at risk of famine.

Internal divisions within the Sudanese Armed Forces have grown over how to respond to the perceived Ethiopian intervention. Some voices in the army and allied forces have demanded a formal declaration of war against Ethiopia. Al-Almin described the tension as high, noting that mutual accusations occur almost daily. He warned that opening a second front with Ethiopia would strain an already exhausted military fighting the RSF in the southeast.

Badr Hassan Al-Shafei, a professor of African studies, wrote that Khartoum prioritizes stability in its eastern neighborhood to prevent further asylum waves. He stated that providing military support to Tigray risks exploding the situation on the borders. Al-Almin added that a direct confrontation would confuse the regional dynamic, leaving Sudan to fight two powerful adversaries simultaneously.