Ethiopia Orders Six Sudanese Diplomats Out, Closes Border Consulate

Tensions between two neighbors locked in their own wars have sharpened into a diplomatic rift.

Ethiopian authorities ordered six Sudanese diplomats to depart the country within 48 hours on Tuesday and shut down the Sudanese consulate in the border town of Asosa.

A senior Ethiopian official, speaking to Reuters on the condition of anonymity, confirmed the expulsion of the six staff members. The official cited the sensitivity of the matter as the reason for not being named. The Associated Press separately verified the action through an Ethiopian intelligence official. That official added that Ethiopian authorities had summoned Sudan's ambassador on Sunday to formally announce the closure of the consulate.

A Sudanese official, also speaking on condition of anonymity to prevent further escalation, confirmed the staff departed on Tuesday evening. Neither the Ethiopian nor the Sudanese officials provided a specific public reason for the expulsions, leaving the precise trigger for the move unclear to outside observers.

The diplomatic action followed a formal complaint Sudan lodged with the United Nations Security Council and the African Union's Peace and Security Council on Sunday. Khartoum accused Ethiopia of permitting the Rapid Support Forces to use its territory to launch drone attacks against civilian infrastructure in Sudan. On Sunday, those strikes hit electricity substations in the northern towns of Al-Dabbah and Abu Hamad, cutting power to the areas.

Amjad Farid, a political and foreign affairs adviser for Sudan's Transitional Sovereign Council, stated that the government remains committed to defending its territory. He noted that Sudan is making every possible effort to avoid an open war with Ethiopia. A direct military confrontation would place heavy strain on the Sudanese military, which is already engaged in intense battles with the RSF in the southeast.

Ethiopia denies it supports the RSF in Sudan's civil war, which began in 2023. The conflict has killed tens of thousands and displaced more than 14 million people, according to the United Nations. Ethiopia has also accused Sudan, Egypt, and Eritrea of supporting Tigrayan rebels who launched an offensive in September, though all three countries have denied the claim. This move follows Ethiopia's expulsion of 10 Eritrean diplomats in October and an Egyptian diplomat last month.