Ethiopia: The Drone War Next Door as Sudan Points Across the Border

WarBrief Live | November 3, 2026 | Conflict Zones

Sudan has taken its drone-strike dispute with Ethiopia to the United Nations Security Council and the African Union, accusing the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) of launching attacks from Ethiopian territory. Ethiopia denies backing the RSF and had not publicly answered the latest complaints as of November 2.

Overview: a neighbour pulled into Sudan’s war

Ethiopia is not a party to Sudan’s civil war, but it has become central to how that war is argued about. Since April 2023, Sudan’s Armed Forces (SAF) have fought the paramilitary RSF, and drones have struck infrastructure far from front lines. Khartoum says many strikes were launched from across its eastern border. Its foreign ministry called the alleged use of Ethiopian territory “blatant aggression” in breach of international law. The accusation alone is reshaping diplomacy between the two neighbours.

Key actors: what each side says

Sudan’s army-led government is the complainant. Its Sovereignty Council report supplies the figures here, and Sudan says it will hand over evidence for verification. The RSF, commanded by Mohamed Dagalo, known as Hemedti, is the force Sudan blames; it has not publicly addressed the launch-site claims in the reporting reviewed here. Ethiopia denies supporting the RSF. Its ambassador called Sudan’s accusations “baseless” at the Security Council on October 16, and Addis Ababa accuses Sudan’s army of backing Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) rebels, which Khartoum rejects.

Recent developments: dated entries

• February 15 to October 27, 2026: Sudan’s report alleges 70 attacks from Ethiopian territory, involving 187 one-way attack drones, with 484 civilians killed or wounded, 176 soldiers killed and 200 wounded. These are Sudanese figures, reported by Al Jazeera and Arab News, not independently verified.
• October 29, 2026: A drone strike hits the Hayiq Jari 2 displacement camp in Amhara, Ethiopia. The Europe External Programme with Africa (EEPA) puts the toll at 16 killed and 22 injured; witnesses cited by AFP put it at 14 buried plus two who died in treatment. The attacker is unconfirmed.
• November 1, 2026: Sudan files complaints with the UN Security Council and the African Union Peace and Security Council, naming Asosa airport, the Kurmuk-Gizen border area and Bahir Dar air base as alleged launch sites.
• November 2, 2026: Local sources report RSF drones hitting distribution stations at Aroma and New Halfa in Kassala state, cutting power across the state, and a further strike near the Merowe dam. The World Health Organization warns that fighting and drone strikes in northern Ethiopia are pushing the health system towards collapse.

Two cautions matter. An earlier ambassador recall followed a Khartoum airport drone attack in May 2026, not the November complaints. Figures also differ: EEPA’s November 2 summary cites 162 strikes, 400 civilians and 102 military personnel killed, against the report’s 70 attacks and 484 civilians killed or wounded. WarBrief reports both, unaveraged, as no independent verification has reconciled them.

Current status: filed, contested, not yet judged

As of November 3, the dispute is at the complaint stage: filed but not adjudicated, with no UN or AU decision reported. Sudan’s report also cites a flight computer from a drone downed over Damazin on September 20, which Sudan says held a mission starting near Gizen, inside Ethiopia, and wreckage it attributes to Turkish-made Bayraktar Akinci drones from Bahir Dar. Those attributions are Sudan’s, unchecked against manufacturer or export records. Inside Ethiopia, the November 2022 Tigray peace deal has, per the WHO via Al Jazeera, been all but shattered by renewed fighting. See also WarBrief’s Sudan, one year after El Fasher’s fall, the Sudan drone war in October 2026 and the conflict zones hub.

What to watch: the next phase

Will the UN or AU take up the complaint? A formal discussion or evidence request would move this beyond statements. Will Ethiopia answer directly? A specific response to the named sites and the Damazin flight data would narrow the dispute to verifiable facts. Will independent verification happen? Checks on the attributed drone parts and any third-party flight-path analysis are the likeliest routes to settling the launch-site question. Will the political track outrun the fighting? UN envoy Pekka Haavisto told The National the UN plans talks with the RSF on a civilian transition before Christmas. SAF chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan has repeatedly rejected ceasefire proposals, so that timetable is an aspiration, not an agreed plan.

Frequently asked questions

What is Sudan accusing Ethiopia of?
Sudan accuses the RSF of using Ethiopian territory, including Asosa airport, the Kurmuk-Gizen border area and Bahir Dar air base, to strike Sudanese sites and power stations. Ethiopia denies backing the RSF.

How many attacks does Sudan allege?
Seventy attacks between February 15 and October 27, 2026, involving 187 attack drones, with 484 civilians killed or wounded. A separate EEPA summary cites different figures; neither set is independently verified.

What happens next?
The complaints are with the UN Security Council and the African Union Peace and Security Council. Watch for an Ethiopian response, verification of Sudan’s evidence, and the planned pre-Christmas RSF talks.

Sources

• Al Jazeera: Sudan files complaints against Ethiopia with UN over deadly drone spree
• Arab News: Sudan says drone attacks from Ethiopia killed, wounded hundreds
• Kuwait Times: Sudan complains to UN Security Council over drone attacks from Ethiopia
• Abay Times: Sudan files UN and AU complaints against Ethiopia
• The National: Talks with RSF on transition to civilian rule in Sudan expected within weeks, says UN envoy
• Al Jazeera: Violence in northern Ethiopia pushing health system towards collapse, WHO warns
• IDN / EEPA: EEPA reports on Amhara IDP camp hit by drone strike