ETHIOPIA REJECTS SUDAN DRONE STRIKE ACCUSATIONS, TENSIONS RISE

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed (Getty Images)

RADIO TAMAZUJ

Ethiopia on Tuesday rejected Sudan’s accusation that it carried out drone strikes on Sudanese territory, calling the claims “baseless” and accusing Khartoum of violating its sovereignty, as tensions between the neighbours escalated.

Sudan on Tuesday recalled its ambassador to Ethiopia after accusing Addis Ababa of a series of drone attacks that it said hit Khartoum International Airport. Sudanese Foreign Minister Mohi El-Din Salem said the country was “ready to enter into an open confrontation with Ethiopia.”

In a statement, Ethiopia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs dismissed the allegations, saying Sudan’s claims were “baseless” and that Khartoum had violated Ethiopia’s territorial integrity.

“In recognition of the fraternal ties between the two nations, the Ethiopian government has exercised restraint and refrained from publicising the grave violations of Ethiopia’s territorial integrity and national security committed by some belligerents in the Sudanese civil war,” the ministry said.

It accused the Sudanese Armed Forces of supporting the use of Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) elements, including providing “arms and financial support”, which it said had facilitated cross-border incursions along Ethiopia’s western frontier.

Sudan’s military has not publicly responded to Ethiopia’s allegations.

Separately, the United Nations said flights to and from Khartoum remained suspended following recent drone strikes on the airport and other parts of the capital, warning of increasing risks to civilians and humanitarian operations.

UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said Khartoum International Airport, a key humanitarian access point, had been affected. He added that UN personnel had recently returned to the capital.

“We condemn these attacks impacting civilians and civilian infrastructure,” Dujarric said, urging all parties to respect international humanitarian law.

In Sudan’s White Nile State, drones reportedly struck multiple sites in the city of Kosti on Tuesday, including two fuel stations in a busy area, a day after a fuel depot and tanker were hit nearby. Local reports indicated casualties and disruption to essential services.

Meanwhile, fighting continues in Darfur, where the UN said the humanitarian situation in El Fasher is deteriorating under siege conditions.

Data from the International Organization for Migration (IOM) shows more than 138,000 people were displaced between October 2025 and March 2026 from El Fasher and surrounding areas.

The UN has called for an immediate cessation of hostilities, protection of civilians and infrastructure, and unhindered humanitarian access.

Since April 2023, fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces has killed tens of thousands of people and displaced millions, according to UN estimates.

Ethiopia, in its statement, also called for an immediate humanitarian truce in Sudan, followed by a sustained ceasefire and a “transparent, inclusive and civilian-led” political process to restore civilian rule.