Sudan Recalls Ambassador to Ethiopia, Accuses Addis Ababa and UAE of Drone Attacks on Khartoum Airport

Key facts

• Sudan recalled its ambassador to Ethiopia on Tuesday after accusing Addis Ababa and the UAE of orchestrating a drone strike on Khartoum International Airport.
• The attack forced a 72-hour suspension of airport operations, just a week after the first commercial flight in three years landed there.
• Sudan’s military says it has ‘conclusive evidence’ that drones were launched from Bahir Dar airport in Ethiopia, and that one drone was shot down and identified as Emirati property.
• Ethiopia’s Foreign Ministry dismissed the allegations as ‘baseless’ and accused Sudan of funding rebels in the Tigray region, specifically the TPLF.
• TPLF senior official Amanuel Assefa denied any connection with Sudanese authorities, saying the government blames others for its failures.
• The war between Sudan’s army and the RSF, which began in April 2023, has killed over 150,000 people and displaced about 14 million, per the UN.
• More than 1.8 million people had returned to Khartoum after the army retook the city in March 2025, but basic services remain absent.

A Sudden Escalation After a Fragile Calm

Sudan has accused Ethiopia and the United Arab Emirates of orchestrating a drone attack on Khartoum International Airport, warning that the aggression will not be ‘met with silence.’ The strike, which hit the airport and military installations in the Greater Khartoum area on Monday, forced authorities to suspend operations for three days. No one was wounded in the attack, Sudan’s information minister said. But the assault shattered a period of relative calm that had taken hold after the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) pushed the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) out of the capital last year. Just a week earlier, the airport had received its first direct international commercial flight since the conflict began, a hopeful sign that the capital was slowly recovering.

Khartoum’s Evidence and Accusations

Sudan’s military said it has ‘conclusive evidence’ that the drones were launched from Bahir Dar airport in Ethiopia, according to the state-owned Sudan News Agency (Suna). The military claims to have tracked four drone attacks originating from Ethiopian territory since early March, and alleges that the UAE supplied the drones. In one instance, Sudanese military officials said they tracked a drone identified as Emirati property entering Sudanese airspace from Ethiopia and eventually shot it down. A Sudanese army spokesman alleged that they have now connected another drone, launched from the same airport, to Monday’s attack. Foreign Minister Mohieddin Salem announced the recall of Sudan’s ambassador to Ethiopia for ‘consultations,’ describing the assault as ‘direct aggression.’ He warned that Ethiopia and the UAE had chosen the ‘wrong path’ and would regret it.

Ethiopia Denies Involvement, Accuses Sudan of Funding Rebels

Ethiopia’s Foreign Ministry dismissed the allegations as ‘baseless’ and accused Sudan of fomenting unrest by funding rebels in the Tigray region – specifically the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF). The ministry added that it had not publicised the alleged violations of its territorial integrity because the two countries share a ‘historic and enduring bond of friendship.’ A senior TPLF official, Amanuel Assefa, rejected the federal government’s remarks, telling AFP: ‘We have no connections with the Sudanese authorities.’ He said the government was blaming everyone ‘but themselves for their failures.’ The UAE has not yet reacted to the latest accusations, but has repeatedly denied funding the RSF or providing military support in the conflict.

Drones Become a Central Weapon in a Devastating War

Drones have become a central component of the war, which the United Nations has described as the world’s worst humanitarian crisis. More than 150,000 people are estimated to have been killed, while about 14 million have been displaced, according to the UN. The conflict began in April 2023 after a power struggle erupted between the army and the RSF. The airport in Khartoum has been a major battleground throughout the war. In recent months, more than 1.8 million people had returned to the capital after the SAF retook the city from the RSF in March 2025. But much of Khartoum remains without electricity or basic services, and the renewed drone strikes have now put the fragile recovery at risk.

Regional Tensions and the Path Ahead

The accusations add a dangerous new dimension to an already volatile region. Sudan and Ethiopia share a long, porous border and have a history of disputes over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam and border clashes. Ethiopia’s accusation that Sudan is funding the TPLF taps into deep sensitivities in Addis Ababa, which fought a two-year civil war against Tigrayan forces that ended in 2022. Sudan’s warning that the aggression will not be ‘met with silence’ raises the prospect of further escalation. The recall of the ambassador is a strong diplomatic rebuke, but it remains unclear whether Khartoum will take military action. For now, the airport remains closed to commercial traffic, and the capital’s residents – who had begun to hope for a return to normalcy – once again face the sound of drones overhead.

The bottom line

• Sudan has accused Ethiopia and the UAE of launching drone strikes on Khartoum International Airport, recalling its ambassador to Ethiopia.
• Sudan’s military claims to have tracked four drones from Ethiopia since March, including one identified as Emirati property.
• Ethiopia denies involvement and counter-accuses Sudan of funding the TPLF, which the TPLF denies.
• The attack came just a week after the first commercial flight in three years landed at the airport, shattering a fragile calm.
• The war between Sudan’s army and RSF has killed over 150,000 and displaced 14 million, with drones now a central weapon.
• The diplomatic rift risks further destabilising the Horn of Africa, amid unresolved border and dam disputes.