Sudan Recalls Envoy to Ethiopia After Airport Attack

Sudan has recalled its ambassador to Ethiopia, accusing the country of involvement in a drone strike targeting the airport in the capital, according to the state news agency SUNA on Tuesday.

A military source told AFP that Sudanese air defences intercepted drones at Khartoum International Airport on Monday, while residents reported hearing explosions and seeing smoke rising near the airport area.

The conflict in Sudan, which began in April 2023 between the national army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, has increasingly featured drone warfare across multiple regions in recent months.

The Sudanese military had earlier accused the RSF in March of launching drone attacks from inside Ethiopian territory, an allegation that marked a sharp escalation in regional tensions.

Mohieddin Salem, the Sudanese army-aligned government’s foreign minister, “announced the recall of Sudan’s ambassador to Ethiopia for consultations regarding the UAE-Ethiopia drone attack on Khartoum International Airport on Monday,” SUNA quoted Salem as saying in a statement.

Salem “stated that it has been conclusively proven that the attack originated from Ethiopia, a country that is supposed to be a sister nation,” the statement added.

The United Arab Emirates has repeatedly denied accusations that it supplies weapons to the RSF, despite ongoing allegations from Sudanese authorities and international observers.