Sudan Accuses UAE and Ethiopia of Drone Strikes on Khartoum Airport, Escalating Regional Tensions
Primary region Africa
Tags Security · Diplomacy
Regions Africa
Sudan's armed forces accused the UAE and Ethiopia of orchestrating drone strikes on Khartoum International Airport and other targets, shattering months of relative calm three years into Sudan's civil war. Sudan's military spokesperson presented evidence claiming drones were launched from Bahir Dar Airport in Ethiopia starting March 1. The strikes hit the airport, Signal Corps base, and a training camp, killing at least five civilians. Ethiopia rejected the accusations as 'baseless' and counter-accused Sudan of backing TPLF mercenaries. Sudan recalled its ambassador from Ethiopia. Egypt condemned the strikes as a 'flagrant violation' of sovereignty. The airport had just resumed operations with its first international flight in years, and 1.8 million displaced residents had returned to Khartoum.
Strategic interpretation
The drone strikes represent a significant escalation in the Horn of Africa's interconnected conflicts, linking Sudan's civil war with the Ethiopia-Sudan border dispute and the UAE's regional power projection. The involvement of the UAE — which has denied supporting the RSF but faces persistent allegations — suggests the conflict is becoming increasingly internationalized. Egypt's condemnation signals Cairo's alignment with Sudan's government, potentially drawing the conflict into a broader regional proxy dynamic. The return of 1.8 million displaced residents to Khartoum makes the humanitarian stakes of renewed escalation particularly severe.