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Ethiopia has accused the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) of arming anti-Ethiopian mercenaries and enabling cross-border incursions, marking a fresh escalation in tensions between the two neighbouring states already grappling with regional instability.
In a statement released on Tuesday, Ethiopia’s foreign ministry alleged that Sudan has become a staging ground for hostile elements targeting Ethiopian territory.
“Sudan is serving as a hub for various anti-Ethiopian forces,” the ministry said, adding that the Sudanese military has gone further by providing “arms and financial support to these mercenaries, thereby facilitating their incursions along Ethiopia’s western frontier.”
The accusations reflect longstanding friction tied to Ethiopia’s internal conflict, particularly the war in the Tigray region between 2020 and 2022. Addis Ababa has consistently maintained that external actors, including Sudan, have played roles in supporting Tigrayan fighters during and after the conflict, a claim that has remained a point of diplomatic contention.
Ethiopia also dismissed allegations made earlier on Tuesday by Sudan’s foreign minister, aligned with the army-backed government, who accused Ethiopia and the United Arab Emirates of carrying out a drone strike on Khartoum’s airport.
Ethiopia described the claims as “baseless accusations,” reinforcing its position that it has not engaged in direct military operations within Sudan.
The exchange comes against the backdrop of Sudan’s ongoing war between the SAF and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, which began in April 2023. The conflict has increasingly featured drone warfare, with both sides intensifying aerial attacks in recent months.
Earlier in March, Sudan’s military accused the RSF of launching drone strikes “from inside Ethiopian territory,” signalling a widening regional dimension to the conflict. Ethiopia, however, has firmly denied hosting RSF elements or facilitating operations linked to the group.
Meanwhile, the UAE has also faced repeated allegations of supplying arms to the RSF, claims it has consistently rejected. The overlapping accusations between regional actors underscore a complex web of mistrust, proxy involvement, and geopolitical rivalry, raising concerns about further destabilisation across the Horn of Africa.
