Sudan says drone used in February attack entered from Ethiopia

Sudan’s internationally recognised government said a drone used in a February attack crossed into Sudan from Ethiopia, reports The National on 3 March.

Sudan’s foreign ministry, which is aligned with the army, said the aircraft had been launched from Ethiopian territory before carrying out the strike. It described the incident as “aggressive behaviour that’s both rejected and denounced” and said it constituted “a flagrant violation of Sudan’s sovereignty and a blatant aggression on the Sudanese state”.

The statement also warned that the attack would have “consequences” and said that Sudan would continue to exercise its right to self-defence. Whilst it claimed the drones had been launched from Ethiopia in February, it did not state where they struck or whether there had been damage or casualties.

It is also the first time Sudan has publicly claimed that an attack was launched from within Ethiopia. There has been no response so far from the government in Addis Ababa.

The accusation comes amid the ongoing conflict between the Sudanese military and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The conflict has spread across several parts of the country since it began and has involved the use of drones as well as other weapons.

The Sudanese claim follows reports that Ethiopia is hosting a UAE-funded training camp for RSF fighters near the Sudanese border. Military sources said concentrations of RSF fighters had been detected in the area.

They added that limited clashes between the RSF and the Sudanese military had taken place in recent days near the border towns of Kurmuk and Qaysan, in the Blue Nile region of south-eastern Sudan.

Sudan has been affected by a civil war between the army-backed government and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces for nearly four years. The conflict has caused widespread destruction and displacement affecting millions.

The National, Maghrebi.org