Sudan Recalls Ethiopia Envoy, Blames Drone Strike on Khartoum Airport

(MENAFN) Sudan escalated diplomatic tensions on Tuesday, pulling its ambassador to Ethiopia for consultations and leveling direct accusations at both Addis Ababa and Abu Dhabi over a drone assault on Khartoum airport — a strike Khartoum says constitutes a clear violation of international law.

Foreign Minister Mohieddin Salem addressed reporters at a press conference in the capital, confirming that Sudan had "recalled its ambassador to Ethiopia for consultations over the Emirati-Ethiopian drone aggression targeting Khartoum airport."

Salem made clear that the civilian nature of the targeted facility rendered the attack categorically impermissible. "Khartoum airport is a civilian facility, and targeting it is prohibited under international law," he said.

Pointing to what he described as irrefutable proof of Ethiopian complicity, Salem said there was "conclusive evidence" that the attack was launched from Ethiopian territory, adding that Ethiopia "should be a sister country." He further disclosed that diplomatic messages had been dispatched to both Ethiopia and the UAE regarding the incident, though he declined to elaborate on their contents.

Khartoum stopped short of outlining what form its response might take, but made its position unambiguous — the government announced it holds both countries responsible for the attack and affirmed its right to respond.

Neither Ethiopia nor the UAE issued an immediate comment. The UAE has previously denied any role in Sudan's internal conflict, maintaining that it backs the country's stability.
The attack itself unfolded on Monday, when Sudanese air defenses intercepted multiple drones targeting several sites across Khartoum. Eyewitnesses reported plumes of smoke rising near the airport in the eastern section of the capital. Authorities later confirmed that airport operations resumed within hours, with no reported casualties, following the implementation of security measures.

The accusation against the UAE is not without precedent. In May 2025, Sudan severed diplomatic relations with Abu Dhabi, charging it with supplying advanced weapons to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) — the paramilitary faction locked in a brutal power struggle with the Sudanese army since April 2023.

Salem also broadened the scope of Khartoum's concerns, cautioning that the issue of mercenaries participating in the war "concerns the global conscience and requires clear international action."

The conflict at the heart of Sudan's crisis — a war between the national army and the RSF rooted in a dispute over military integration — has since spiraled into one of the most severe humanitarian catastrophes on the planet. Tens of thousands have been killed, approximately 13 million people have been uprooted from their homes, and swaths of the country now teeter on the edge of famine.

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