Sudan accuses Ethiopia of launching 187 drones from its soil
Khartoum filed formal complaints with the UN and African Union, alleging the RSF used Ethiopian airfields to strike civilian targets.
By Kaito Sokolov ·
Sudan has formally accused Ethiopia of allowing the Rapid Support Forces to launch deadly drone attacks from its territory. The Sudanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs submitted complaints to the United Nations Security Council and the African Union’s Peace and Security Council on Sunday. The filing alleges that the RSF used Ethiopian land to strike civilian sites and power stations in Sudan.
A report from the army-led Transitional Sovereignty Council details the scale of the operations. It lists 70 assaults conducted between February 15 and October 27. These strikes involved 187 one-way attack drones. The conflict has resulted in 484 civilians killed or wounded. The military suffered 176 deaths and 200 injuries.
The report identifies specific launch sites within Ethiopia. These include Asosa Airport in the west, the Kurmuk-Gizen border area, and the Bahir Dar airbase in the Amhara region. The statement notes that 28 attacks occurred in October alone, utilizing 97 drones. It describes the use of Ethiopian soil to target Sudanese cities as a breach of international law.
One incident drew particular attention from the reporting body. On October 9, drones struck displaced families in Wad el-Mahi, located in Sudan’s Blue Nile region near the border. The attack killed 30 civilians, including 26 women and four children. Another 100 people were wounded in that specific strike.
The diplomatic move follows a long-standing dispute between the two nations. Sudan’s military has accused Ethiopia of aiding the RSF, the primary adversary in the civil war that began in April 2023. In response, Ethiopia has claimed the Sudanese military supports rebels linked to the Tigray People’s Liberation Front. Khartoum has denied these charges.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres reacted to the escalating violence on Saturday. His spokesman stated that the leader was appalled by the impact of the drone strikes. The UN strongly condemned the attacks, labeling them violations of international humanitarian law. This condemnation came days after a strike on a market in RSF-controlled Darfur territory killed more than 100 people.
The next steps involve the review of these complaints by the designated international bodies. The Sudanese foreign ministry asserts that the sequence of events places Ethiopia before international law. The formal process for these accusations begins with the submission of the reports to the Security Council and the Peace and Security Council.
