Ethiopia Expels Six Sudanese Consular Staff, Orders Assosa Consulate Closed Amid Escalating Tensions

Ethiopia has expelled six staff members of Sudan’s consulate in Assosa, a western city near the Sudanese border, and ordered the mission closed, according to Ethiopian and Sudanese officials.

The diplomatic escalation comes amid accusations from Sudan that drones attacking its infrastructure are being launched from Ethiopian territory. This move follows a series of tense diplomatic actions in the region, including Ethiopia’s decision last month to expel 10 Eritrean diplomats and close its embassy in Eritrea, prompting Eritrea to sever ties. Ethiopia also expelled an Egyptian diplomat amid ongoing tensions over Ethiopia’s massive dam on the Blue Nile, which Cairo fears could threaten its water supplies.

An Ethiopian intelligence official confirmed that the six Sudanese consular staff were given 48 hours to leave the country. Speaking on condition of anonymity, as he was not authorized to address the media, the official provided no immediate explanation for the decision.

A Sudanese official corroborated the expulsions, stating that Ethiopian authorities summoned Sudan’s ambassador on Sunday to announce the consulate’s closure. The official, who also spoke anonymously to avoid further escalating the diplomatic dispute, noted that the staff departed on Tuesday evening.

Neither official provided a specific reason for the closure. Sudan’s ambassador to Ethiopia declined to comment, and Ethiopia’s Foreign Ministry had not publicly announced the latest measures, unlike previous expulsions.

Sudan’s Foreign Ministry previously alleged that drones used in attacks on the country’s electricity infrastructure were supplied by the United Arab Emirates and launched from Ethiopian territory. Both Ethiopia and the UAE have repeatedly denied arming the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which has been engaged in conflict with Sudan’s military since April 2023.

Recent drone strikes on electricity substations in the northern Sudanese towns of Al-Dabbah and Abu Hamad knocked out power on Sunday. Sudan’s government and the rights group Emergency Lawyers blamed the RSF for the attacks, warning that the wider campaign has disrupted electricity and water supplies and threatened essential medical services.

In response to similar accusations earlier this year, Ethiopia’s Foreign Ministry issued a statement on May 5 rejecting the claims as baseless, while accusing Sudan of supporting rebels in its northern Tigray region.

Source link