Africa-Press. Ethiopia accused Sudan, on May 5, 2026, of supplying weapons and financial support to fighters from the Tigray region, marking a new escalation in tensions between the two countries. This accusation came in response to claims from Khartoum that Addis Ababa was involved in drone strikes targeting the Sudanese capital’s airport.
The Ethiopian Foreign Ministry stated that the Sudanese army supports what it described as “mercenaries” affiliated with the Tigray People’s Liberation Front, a prominent political and military force in the northern region. It emphasized that their activities within Sudan are “well known” and that there is “numerous credible evidence” indicating that Sudan has become a hub for hostile forces against Ethiopia. Addis Ababa also firmly rejected Sudan’s accusations regarding its involvement in the attack on Khartoum airport, labeling them as “baseless.”
In contrast, Sudanese authorities summoned their ambassador to Ethiopia for consultations, reflecting the severity of diplomatic tensions between the two sides. A report from a research lab at Yale University, released in early April, indicated that an Ethiopian military base near the Sudanese border had provided support to Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces, adding a new dimension to the complexities of the regional landscape.
The spokesperson for the Sudanese army, supported by documents, presented the flight paths of the drones that targeted Khartoum on Monday, confirming that some were intercepted.
Video footage showed that these drones launched from Bahir Dar airport within Ethiopian territory, following the same route taken by a drone intercepted in March, which data indicated had taken off from the same location.
The Sudanese army noted that the drones used were of the “Bayraktar Akinci” model, manufactured in Turkey, and bore serial numbers linked to the United Arab Emirates, raising suspicions of external support in the conflict.
For its part, Khartoum accused both Ethiopia and the UAE of violating national sovereignty and international law, asserting through its Foreign Minister that it does not seek to initiate any aggression but warned that “anyone who attacks us will face a response.”
This escalation comes at a time when Sudan is experiencing ongoing warfare since April 2023 between the regular army and the Rapid Support Forces, while fears are growing in Ethiopia regarding the potential resurgence of conflict in the Tigray region, which emerged from a bloody civil war in 2022 that claimed at least 600,000 lives.
