Sudan’s war is spilling across its borders. The RSF drone attacks that have hammered Sudanese cities are now driving a bitter diplomatic fight with neighbouring Ethiopia, and the stakes reach well beyond Khartoum.
Sudan points the finger
Sudan has complained to the UN Security Council and the African Union’s Peace and Security Council. It alleges that the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), at war with the Sudanese army since April 2023, are launching drones from Ethiopian territory. A report by Sudan’s foreign ministry and military intelligence counts 70 assaults involving 187 one-way attack drones between February and October. October alone saw 28 attacks with 97 drones.
The report names Asosa airport, the Kurmuk-Gizen border area and the Bahir Dar airbase as launch sites. Ethiopia denies helping the RSF. It accuses Sudan of backing rebels linked to the Tigray People’s Liberation Front.
The human cost
According to a report by the army-aligned Transitional Sovereignty Council, drone strikes killed 176 soldiers and 484 civilians between 15 February and 27 October. On 3 October, a strike on displaced families at Wad el-Mahi killed 26 women and four children. Another in Nyala on 26 October killed at least 21 people. More than 90 percent of power stations in Sudanese cities are reportedly out of service. UN chief Antonio Guterres said he was appalled.
Around 13 million Sudanese are already displaced, and thousands face famine.
Old grievances, new fire
The bad blood predates the drones. Sudan and Egypt, both downstream on the Nile, fear Ethiopia’s Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam. Sudan’s closer ties with Cairo irritate Addis Ababa. Some voices in the Sudanese army have reportedly called for war on Ethiopia.
Analysts urge caution. Sudan’s army is stretched fighting the RSF, and opening a second front could be disastrous. A wider war would also push more refugees into border states that are already struggling.
For people across the Horn of Africa, this is a warning. When neighbours trade accusations while weapons fly, ordinary families pay first.
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