Sudan Expels Ethiopian Diplomats, Shuts Consulate in 48 Hours
(MENAFN) Sudan has shut down Ethiopia’s consulate in the eastern city of Gedaref and given its diplomats 48 hours to leave the country, local media reported on Wednesday, a sharp escalation between the two neighbors.
A Sudanese news website said the order was retaliation. Ethiopian authorities had earlier closed Sudan’s consulate in Assosa and told six Sudanese diplomats to depart within the same window. A Sudanese broadcaster carried the same report, citing local media and a Sudanese government source.
According to those reports, Khartoum acted on the principle of reciprocity as diplomatic friction between the two countries intensifies.
The drone incident
The expulsion follows a military flashpoint. On Tuesday, the Sudanese army said its air defenses downed what it called a hostile strategic drone over Blue Nile state after the aircraft crossed into Sudanese airspace from Ethiopia. The army did not name the drone’s operator, and Ethiopian authorities offered no immediate comment.
A widening rift
Relations have soured as each side accuses the other of backing armed groups:
Sudan has charged that Ethiopia lets the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) use its territory to launch drone strikes on civilian infrastructure. Khartoum has lodged complaints with the UN Security Council and the African Union Peace and Security Council.
Ethiopia has, for its part, accused Sudan of supporting rebels in its northern Tigray region.
The countries also have a long-running dispute over the Al-Fashaga border region, where their forces have clashed before.
Ethiopia opened its Gedaref consulate in June 2015 to strengthen bilateral ties, ease cross-border cooperation and tackle shared security concerns, including human trafficking.
The dispute unfolds against the backdrop of Sudan’s war between the army and the RSF, which erupted in April 2023 and has driven widespread displacement and a worsening humanitarian crisis.
A Sudanese news website said the order was retaliation. Ethiopian authorities had earlier closed Sudan’s consulate in Assosa and told six Sudanese diplomats to depart within the same window. A Sudanese broadcaster carried the same report, citing local media and a Sudanese government source.
According to those reports, Khartoum acted on the principle of reciprocity as diplomatic friction between the two countries intensifies.
The drone incident
The expulsion follows a military flashpoint. On Tuesday, the Sudanese army said its air defenses downed what it called a hostile strategic drone over Blue Nile state after the aircraft crossed into Sudanese airspace from Ethiopia. The army did not name the drone’s operator, and Ethiopian authorities offered no immediate comment.
A widening rift
Relations have soured as each side accuses the other of backing armed groups:
Sudan has charged that Ethiopia lets the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) use its territory to launch drone strikes on civilian infrastructure. Khartoum has lodged complaints with the UN Security Council and the African Union Peace and Security Council.
Ethiopia has, for its part, accused Sudan of supporting rebels in its northern Tigray region.
The countries also have a long-running dispute over the Al-Fashaga border region, where their forces have clashed before.
Ethiopia opened its Gedaref consulate in June 2015 to strengthen bilateral ties, ease cross-border cooperation and tackle shared security concerns, including human trafficking.
The dispute unfolds against the backdrop of Sudan’s war between the army and the RSF, which erupted in April 2023 and has driven widespread displacement and a worsening humanitarian crisis.
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