The Sudanese government remains committed to its right to defend its territory, but is making every possible effort to avoid an open war with Ethiopia,
Ethiopia has ordered six Sudanese diplomats to leave the country within 48 hours and closed Sudan’s consulate in the border town of Asosa, according to Ethiopian and Sudanese officials. The orders came as tensions between the countries rise, with Sudan accusing the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary group of using Ethiopian territory to launch drone attacks on civilian infrastructure.
Ethiopia claims Sudan backs rebels in its northern Tigray region. Sudan lodged a complaint against Ethiopia with both the United Nations Security Council and the African Union’s Peace and Security Council, accusing Ethiopia of allowing the RSF to use its territory to launch deadly drone attacks against civilian infrastructure in Sudan.
The Sudanese government remains committed to its right to defend its territory, but is making every possible effort to avoid an open war with Ethiopia, according to Amjad Farid, political and foreign affairs adviser for Sudan’s Transitional Sovereign Council. A direct military confrontation with Addis Ababa would severely strain an already exhausted Sudanese military apparatus, which is still involved in intense battles with the RSF in the southeast of the country.
Sudan’s military has repeatedly accused Ethiopia of aiding the RSF, which it has been fighting in a civil war since April 2023. Addis Ababa denies it supports the RSF in Sudan’s civil war. Meanwhile, Ethiopia has accused the Sudanese military of backing rebels linked to the Tigray People’s Liberation Front, a charge Khartoum denied.
The latest expulsions of Sudanese diplomats follow Ethiopia’s decision to expel 10 Eritrean diplomats and close its embassy in Eritrea on October 1. Eritrea responded by severing diplomatic ties. Ethiopia also expelled an Egyptian diplomat last month. For Egypt, its dispute with Ethiopia over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam remains a major strategic concern that has long strained relations between the neighbours.
The situation is complex, with multiple countries involved and various accusations being made. It is not yet clear how the situation will develop, but the diplomatic expulsions and accusations of support for rebel groups have increased tensions in the region. The United Nations Security Council and the African Union’s Peace and Security Council may play a role in resolving the dispute, but a peaceful resolution is not guaranteed.
