Sudan accuses Ethiopia, UAE of drone attacks
Al Jazeera Staff
Sudan has accused Ethiopia and the UAE of orchestrating drone attacks that shut down Khartoum airport. Ethiopia denies the claims and counter-accuses Sudan of supporting Tigray rebels, while the crisis deepens in what the UN calls the world's worst humanitarian disaster.
On March 11, Sudan officially recalled its ambassador to Ethiopia, accusing Ethiopia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) of being behind a drone attack on Khartoum International Airport that forced authorities to suspend operations for three days.
The Sudanese army said it had gathered evidence showing four drone attacks launched from Ethiopian territory since the beginning of March, and accused the UAE of supplying the equipment.
Ethiopia's Foreign Ministry rejected the allegations as "baseless" and counter-accused Sudan of supporting the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) rebels to destabilize the country. Ethiopia also said it had not yet publicized what it considers Sudan's sovereignty violations due to the "longstanding and strong friendship" between the two countries.
A senior TPLF official, Amanuel Assefa, dismissed the Ethiopian government's accusations, telling AFP: "We have no connection whatsoever with the Sudanese authorities." He added: "The Ethiopian government blames everyone except its own failures."
The UAE has not officially responded, but has repeatedly denied allegations of funding the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), the paramilitary group that has been fighting the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) for more than three years.
Last week, Khartoum airport received its first flight since the conflict erupted, marking a period of relative calm in the capital. However, the situation worsened after the latest drone attacks. The SAF retook control of the city from the RSF in March 2025. In recent months, more than 1.8 million people have returned to Khartoum, but much of the city still lacks electricity and basic services.
Drones have become a central component of a war that the United Nations describes as the world's worst humanitarian crisis. According to the UN, more than 150,000 people have been killed and some 14 million displaced. The conflict began in April 2023 after a power struggle between the army and the RSF.
Alan Boswell, Horn of Africa director for the International Crisis Group (ICG), warned that Sudan's accusation against Ethiopia marks a dangerous new phase in a conflict that has already destabilized the region. "Both countries are facing major internal challenges, and in essence, each side sees the other as supporting its armed opponents," Boswell told Al Jazeera. "That mutual suspicion creates a very dangerous dynamic and risks worsening their internal problems."
Boswell said the main driver is that Sudan's civil war has no end in sight and is tearing apart the Horn of Africa, with outside intervention such as from the UAE. Abu Dhabi has repeatedly denied involvement in the conflict. He warned that without foreign support, "both warring parties in Sudan would soon run out of ammunition" and the region is witnessing an "unprecedented level of interference."
