Home · World · Nov 5 archive
Ethiopia and Sudan Expel Consular Staff Amid Civil War Tensions
Confirmed
In Short: Ethiopia and Sudan have closed each other's consulates and expelled diplomatic staff near their shared border, escalating tensions amid civil war allegations.
Ethiopia and Sudan have closed each other's consulates and expelled diplomatic staff near their shared border, marking a further deterioration in relations over allegations of cross-border interference in civil wars. Ethiopian officials ordered the Sudanese consulate in Assosa to close and expelled six diplomats within 48 hours, while Sudan responded by closing Ethiopia's consulate in Gedaref and expelling its staff.
The diplomatic actions come amid ongoing civil wars in both countries. Sudan's civil war began in April 2023 when fighting erupted between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), displacing more than 14 million people, according to UN figures. Ethiopia's conflict involves renewed fighting in its northern Tigray region, with the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) launching attacks into neighboring states.
Sudan accuses Ethiopia of supporting the RSF, while Ethiopia claims Sudan is backing Tigrayan rebels. Sudan's political and foreign affairs adviser, Amjad Farid, stated, 'The Sudanese government remains committed to its right to defend its territory. Nevertheless, it is making every possible effort to avoid an open war with Ethiopia.'
Ethiopia's Foreign Ministry had not publicly announced these latest measures, unlike last month's expulsions of Eritrean diplomats. Sudan's civil war has raised fears of a broader conflict in the Horn of Africa, with Sudan's government lodging a complaint against Ethiopia with the United Nations Security Council and the African Union’s Peace and Security Council.
The diplomatic measures reflect growing mistrust surrounding allegations of cross-border interference. Sudan has accused Ethiopia of allowing the RSF to use its territory to launch attacks against Sudanese infrastructure, while Ethiopia has accused Sudan, Egypt, and Eritrea of supporting Tigrayan rebels who launched an offensive against its government forces in September.
Field Marshal Birhanu Jula of Ethiopia's army said on Sunday, 'We are fighting forces that are organized and allied to serve the interests of external forces.' The TPLF has seized airports and launched attacks into neighboring states of Afar and Amhara, claiming it is engaged in a 'defensive war' against the government.
The latest diplomatic dispute is rooted in Sudan's accusation that Ethiopia has allowed the RSF to use its territory to launch suicide drones against civilian infrastructure in Sudan. Ethiopia's civil war has resumed, with fighting between the TPLF and federal government raising fears of a return to the 2020-2022 civil war, in which an estimated 600,000 people died.
Despite the escalating tensions, both sides have expressed a desire to avoid direct military confrontation. Sudan's civil war has created one of the world's worst humanitarian emergencies, and the diplomatic confrontation comes amid renewed heavy fighting in northern Ethiopia between federal forces and armed opposition groups.
What this adds
The diplomatic actions are part of a broader series of expulsions and closures in the region, including Ethiopia's decision to close its embassy in Eritrea and expel Eritrean diplomats in October.
What's confirmed
- ADDIS ABABA: Ethiopia and Sudan closed each other’s consulates near their shared border, officials from the two countries said on Wednesday, marking a further deterioration in relations over allegations each side is supporting the other’s enemies.
- Ethiopia closed the Sudanese consulate in the border town of Assosa and ordered the six diplomats there to leave within 48 hours, a senior Ethiopian official told Reuters, without providing a reason for the decision.
- “The Sudanese government remains committed to its right to defend its territory. Nevertheless, it is making every possible effort to avoid an open war with Ethiopia,” Amjad Farid, political and foreign affairs adviser for Sudan’s Transitional Sovereignty Council, said.
- Sudan accuses Ethiopia of supporting the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, while Ethiopia accuses Sudan of backing rebels in its northern Tigray region.
- Sudan subsequently closed Ethiopia’s consulate in the eastern city of Gedaref and expelled the diplomats working there, two Sudanese officials said.
- It accused Ethiopia of allowing the RSF to use its territory to launch suicide drones against civilian infrastructure in Sudan.
What's still developing
- It cooperates with a wide network of universities, research organisations, civil society, and experts from Ethiopia, Eritrea, Kenya, Djibouti, Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan, Uganda, and across Africa.
- Check all information against updates and other media.
- A Sudanese official corroborated the expulsions, adding that Ethiopian authorities had summoned Sudan’s ambassador on Sunday to announce the consulate’s closure.
- Tensions in the Horn of Africa have escalated sharply after Eritrea severed diplomatic relations with Ethiopia, marking one of the most serious breakdowns between the two neighbours since their historic rapprochement in 2018.
- The latest clashes represent the most significant escalation since the end of Ethiopia's devastating 2020–2022 civil war.