Sudan Accuses Ethiopia at UN Over Fatal Drone Strikes
Sudan has filed complaints with the UN and African Union, alleging Ethiopia is complicit in drone attacks launched from its territory, causing hundreds of civilian casualties.
Highlights
- Sudan has formally complained to the United Nations Security Council and the African Union's Peace and Security Council regarding drone assaults.
- Khartoum asserts that the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) are utilizing Ethiopian land to initiate these attacks.
- Since February, these strikes have reportedly resulted in 484 civilian casualties, including deaths and injuries.
- Sudan's Foreign Ministry states that these incidents hold Ethiopia accountable under international law.
- The UN Secretary-General expressed profound concern over the impact of these drone attacks on the civilian population in Sudan.
Details
According to a report from Sudan's military-led Transitional Sovereignty Council, there have been 70 drone strikes between February 15 and October 27, involving 187 one-way attack drones. These assaults led to the deaths or injuries of 484 non-combatants and caused the deaths of 176 Sudanese soldiers, with an additional 200 soldiers sustaining injuries. The report identifies several alleged launch points within Ethiopia, including Asosa Airport in the western part of the country, the Kurmuk-Gizen frontier zone, and the Bahir Dar airbase situated in Ethiopia's northwestern Amhara region.
The report details 28 separate attacks in October alone, utilizing 97 drones. One particularly devastating incident cited occurred on October 9 in Wad el-Mahi, located in Sudan’s Blue Nile region near the Ethiopian border, targeting families who had been displaced. This strike reportedly claimed the lives of 30 non-combatants, comprising 26 women and four children, and left 100 individuals injured. The Sudanese military has consistently accused Ethiopia of providing support to the RSF in the ongoing civil conflict since April 2023. Conversely, Ethiopia has leveled accusations against the Sudanese military for aiding insurgents connected to the Tigray People's Liberation Front, a claim Sudan denies.
Why it matters
These formal complaints elevate the ongoing internal conflict in Sudan to a regional concern, potentially escalating tensions between Sudan and Ethiopia. The devastating toll of drone attacks on civilians and the allegations of international law violations draw significant global attention to the conflict, raising serious alarms about regional stability.