(Addis Ababa, Ethiopia) – Sudan has ordered Ethiopian consular staff to leave the country after Ethiopia expelled six Sudanese diplomats, according to officials cited in reporting published November 4, escalating a dispute over alleged support for armed groups on both sides of their border.

Two Sudanese government officials told AFP that Sudan imposed a 48-hour departure deadline on staff at Ethiopia’s consulate in Gedaref. Their account, carried by News Central TV, followed Reuters reporting that a senior Ethiopian official confirmed the expulsion of six Sudanese consular staff from Assosa.

The new development is Sudan’s reported reciprocal action, turning Ethiopia’s expulsion order into a two-way diplomatic confrontation. Neither report establishes that the countries have severed diplomatic relations altogether.

The dates differ between the action and its public disclosure. A Sudanese official told AFP that Ethiopia declared the Assosa employees unwelcome on November 2 and gave them 48 hours to leave. Sudan’s response was reported as occurring Wednesday, November 4. The reports do not establish how many Ethiopian staff are affected.

The confrontation comes amid competing accusations about cross-border assistance to armed groups. Sudan alleges Ethiopia has allowed the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces to launch drones against Sudanese civilian infrastructure from Ethiopian territory. Ethiopia denies supporting the RSF and accuses Sudan of backing rebels in its northern Tigray region. Sudan denies that allegation.

Reuters reported that Sudan’s government said Sunday it had submitted complaints to the United Nations Security Council and the African Union’s Peace and Security Council. Those complaints are allegations, not independent findings that Ethiopia enabled the attacks.

The diplomatic deterioration adds to concerns that Sudan’s civil war and renewed fighting in Ethiopia could become more closely connected. Sudan’s conflict began in April 2023 and has displaced more than 14 million people, Reuters reported, citing UN figures.

Amjad Farid, an adviser to Sudan’s Transitional Sovereign Council, told Reuters that Sudan was seeking to avoid open war with Ethiopia while maintaining its right to defend its territory. Ethiopia’s prime minister’s office did not immediately respond to Reuters’ request for comment.

Accompanying image: editorial illustration.

Sources