Sudan and Ethiopia expel diplomats amid rising tensions
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The gist
Ethiopia ordered six Sudanese consular staff in Assosa to leave within 48 hours, and Sudan retaliated by closing Ethiopia's consulate in Gedaref.
The tit-for-tat expulsions widen a Horn of Africa rift already drawing in Egypt and Eritrea.
Background
Ethiopia is led by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and Sudan by military leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan; the two neighbours have been at odds for months over border security, drone operations and Sudan's civil war. Sudan's army-aligned government accuses Ethiopia of letting the paramilitary RSF (Rapid Support Forces) launch drone attacks on Sudanese civilian infrastructure from Ethiopian soil, while Ethiopia accuses Khartoum of backing Tigrayan rebels fighting in northern Ethiopia. Both sides deny the allegations. The expulsions come as Addis Ababa has also traded diplomatic expulsions with Egypt and Eritrea.
How it unfolded
- Oct 1, 2026Ethiopia's foreign ministry announced it was closing its embassy in Asmara and declared 10 Eritrean diplomats in Addis Ababa persona non grata, ordering them out within 48 hours.
- Nov 4, 2026A senior Ethiopian official told Reuters that Ethiopia ordered six Sudanese consular staff at Sudan's consulate in Assosa, capital of Benishangul-Gumuz region, to leave within 48 hours; the official gave no reason.
- Nov 5, 2026Sudan retaliated by closing Ethiopia's consulate in Gedaref and expelling the diplomats working there, two Sudanese officials said.
Key terms
- consular staff
- Officials representing a government in a foreign country who protect their citizens and promote trade and diplomatic ties.
- persona non grata
- A foreign diplomat whom the host country asks to be recalled, often without giving a reason.
- Transitional Sovereignty Council
- The collective head of state of Sudan established in 2019 during its political transition.
Source: Wikipedia
Who’s saying what
- Sudan
- Sudan's army-aligned government accuses Ethiopia of allowing the RSF to use Ethiopian territory to launch drone attacks on civilian infrastructure, and says it lodged formal complaints with the UN Security Council and the African Union Peace and Security Council.
- Ethiopia
- Ethiopia accuses Khartoum of backing Tigrayan rebels involved in renewed fighting in northern Ethiopia, and points to regional involvement by Egypt and Eritrea.
- Caution
- Amjad Farid, a political and foreign affairs adviser to Sudan's Transitional Sovereignty Council, told Reuters Khartoum was committed to defending its territory but was making every effort to avoid an open war with Ethiopia.
Still unverified
Sudanese military officials have alleged that RSF drones were launched from Ethiopian territory, a claim Addis Ababa rejects and that has not been independently established.