Ethiopian authorities ordered six Sudanese diplomatic officials to leave the country on Tuesday and shut down their consulate in Assosa. The affected mission served the Benishangul-Gumuz region near the border.
Assosa lies 476 kilometres west of Addis Ababa and 648 kilometres southeast of Khartoum. Ethiopian officials gave no public explanation for the expulsion order.
The decision followed complaints submitted by Sudan to the United Nations Security Council and the African Union Peace and Security Council. Khartoum accused Addis Ababa of helping drone operations run by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces.
The paramilitary group has fought the Sudanese army since April 2023. Sudan’s Foreign Ministry stated it submitted formal documents alleging that drones operating from Ethiopian territory struck civilian areas and electricity facilities.
Officials in Khartoum stated the strikes targeted other infrastructure, caused casualties, and disrupted services. Sudanese presidential adviser Amjad Farid alleged that 70 attacks involving 187 explosive drones were launched from Ethiopia between February 15 and October 27.
He stated those strikes killed more than 400 civilians. He stressed that Khartoum reserved the right to respond to threats against its sovereignty.
Sudan’s army-led authorities also reported hundreds of civilian and military casualties from the attacks. Khartoum has repeatedly accused Addis Ababa of supporting the paramilitary forces, though these claims remain unverified.
Ethiopia has accused Sudan of backing armed groups involved in its own internal conflicts. The diplomatic measures mark an escalation in tensions between the neighbours amid security concerns along their shared border.
