Ethiopia expels Sudanese diplomats after fresh allegations of support for RSF
Ethiopia has expelled Sudanese diplomats following fresh allegations of support for the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), the paramilitary group fighting Sudan's army, according to reports by Citizen Digital, Arab News and The New Arab.
The expulsions mark an escalation between two neighbours that share a long border, parts of which are disputed, and whose relations have been strained throughout Sudan's civil war. Any allegation that a neighbouring state is aiding one side in the conflict carries diplomatic and security weight for the region.
What is known
The three outlets report the same core facts: Ethiopia has expelled Sudanese diplomats, and the move follows new allegations concerning support for the RSF. The reports describe the allegations as fresh, which indicates that similar claims have been made before.
Several details had not been made public at the time of writing, including:
- how many diplomats were ordered to leave, and their rank;
- who made the latest allegations, and against whom;
- the specific nature of the alleged support;
- the official reason Ethiopia gave for the expulsions;
- the deadline for the diplomats to leave.
It was also not immediately clear how Sudan has responded, or whether it has taken reciprocal measures against Ethiopian diplomats in Sudan.
Background
Sudan has been at war since April 2023, when fighting broke out between the Sudanese Armed Forces, led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the RSF, commanded by General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, widely known as Hemedti. The conflict has killed tens of thousands of people and displaced millions, many of them into neighbouring countries.
The army-aligned government has repeatedly accused foreign states of supplying or sheltering the RSF, and the question of outside backing has become a recurring source of diplomatic friction in the region.
Relations between Ethiopia and Sudan were complicated before the war. The two countries have long disputed the fertile al-Fashaga border area. They have also differed over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam on the Blue Nile: Sudan, alongside Egypt, has sought a legally binding agreement on how the dam is filled and operated.
Ethiopia has at various points presented itself as a potential mediator in Sudan's conflict.
What comes next
It is not yet clear whether the expulsions will be followed by a downgrading of diplomatic ties, the closure of embassies or consulates, or measures along the shared border. Nor is it known whether regional bodies such as the African Union or the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), both of which have engaged on the Sudan conflict, will take up the dispute.
Sources: Citizen Digital, Arab News, The New Arab
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