Ethiopia and Sudan shut border consulates as tensions escalate over rebel support claims

Ethiopia and Sudan have closed each other's consulates near their shared border and expelled diplomatic staff, marking a fresh deterioration in relations amid accusations that both countries are supporting armed groups fighting their respective governments.

Ethiopia shut the Sudanese consulate in the border town of Assosa and ordered its six diplomats to leave within 48 hours, a senior Ethiopian official told Reuters on Thursday.

Sudan responded by closing Ethiopia's consulate in the eastern city of Gedaref and expelling its diplomatic staff, two Sudanese officials told the news agency.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter.

Neither side has publicly provided a detailed explanation for the consulate closures.

Mutual accusations fuel regional tensions

Sudan accuses Ethiopia of supporting the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which has been fighting Sudan's army since April 2023. Addis Ababa denies backing the group.

On Sunday, Sudan's government said it had filed a complaint with the UN Security Council and the African Union's Peace and Security Council, accusing Ethiopia of allowing the RSF to use its territory to launch suicide drone attacks against civilian infrastructure in Sudan.

Ethiopia, meanwhile, accuses Sudan of supporting rebels in its northern Tigray region. It has also alleged that Egypt and Eritrea are backing Tigrayan fighters who launched an offensive against government forces in September, reigniting a conflict that had largely subsided after a 2022 peace agreement. Sudan, Egypt and Eritrea have denied the accusations.

The competing claims have raised concerns that the conflicts in the two neighbouring countries could become increasingly intertwined, potentially triggering a wider confrontation in the Horn of Africa.

Sudan says it wants to avoid open war

Despite the escalating diplomatic tensions, Sudan says it does not want a direct military confrontation with Ethiopia.

"The Sudanese government remains committed to its right to defend its territory. Nevertheless, it is making every possible effort to avoid an open war with Ethiopia," Amjad Farid, political and foreign affairs adviser to Sudan's Transitional Sovereignty Council, told Reuters.

The crisis comes as Sudan continues to face a devastating civil war that has displaced more than 14 million people, according to UN figures, and created one of the world's worst humanitarian emergencies since fighting erupted in April 2023.

Ethiopia has also faced prolonged instability, particularly in its northern regions. The renewed fighting between the rebels from the Tigray region and the government has reignited fears of a wider conflict.

TRT World and Agencies — TRT World and Agencies