As tensions heighten in East Africa, Sudan has formally accused Ethiopia of facilitating a series of deadly drone attacks targeting civilian areas, leading to significant casualties and disruptions in essential services. This latest development marks a dramatic escalation in the ongoing civil conflict, underscoring the urgent need for international intervention to address the worsening humanitarian crisis and ensure regional stability.
Sudan has officially lodged a complaint against Ethiopia with both the United Nations Security Council and the African Union’s Peace and Security Council, following a series of deadly drone strikes this year. In a statement issued late on Sunday, Sudan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs alleged that the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary group has leveraged Ethiopian territory to perpetrate what it described as “brazen aggression” against civilian sites and vital infrastructure in Sudan, resulting in hundreds of casualties and significant disruptions to essential services.
The Sudanese government emphasized that these attacks have triggered critical breaches of international law. Notably, the ministry’s statement coincided with a report from the army-led Transitional Sovereignty Council that detailed 70 separate drone assaults from February 15 to October 27, involving a staggering 187 one-way attack drones. This alarming series of incidents reportedly resulted in 484 civilian casualties and claimed the lives of 176 Sudanese soldiers, while injuring an additional 200 soldiers.
“Since February 2026, armed drones have taken off from Ethiopian soil … to strike Sudanese cities and civilians,” the report indicated. Specific launch sites were identified, including locations at Asosa Airport in western Ethiopia, the Kurmuk-Gizen border area, and Bahir Dar airbase in the northwestern Amhara region. Last month alone, Sudan faced an increased assault, with 28 attacks executed by 97 drones.
Among the more tragic events highlighted was an October 9 attack on displaced families in Wad el-Mahi, located in Sudan’s Blue Nile region, near the Ethiopian border, which resulted in the deaths of 30 civilians—26 women and four children—and left 100 others injured. These casualties reflect the profound human cost of the ongoing conflict.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ spokesman expressed deep concern over the impact the drone strikes are having on the civilian population, describing the situation as “appalling.” The secretary-general has expressed strong condemnation of the escalating attacks, emphasizing that these actions constitute violations of international humanitarian law and calling for urgent international attention to mitigate the crisis.
As the conflict continues to escalate, the international community faces significant pressure to respond, addressing the humanitarian needs of the affected populations and fostering dialogue to resolve the prolonged tension in the region.
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