Key facts
- A senior Ethiopian official said six Sudanese consulate staff in Assosa must leave within 48 hours, without giving a reason.
- Sudan accuses Ethiopia of allowing the Rapid Support Forces to use its territory to launch suicide drones at civilian infrastructure.
- Ethiopia accuses Sudan, Egypt and Eritrea of supporting Tigrayan rebels who launched an offensive in September; all three deny it.
- Amjad Farid of Sudan's Transitional Sovereign Council said Sudan seeks to avoid an open war with Ethiopia.
- The Sudanese civil war has displaced more than 14 million people, according to UN figures.
Ethiopia has ordered six staff members of the Sudanese consulate in the border town of Assosa to leave the country within 48 hours, a senior Ethiopian official said on November 4, 2026. The official, who asked not to be named to discuss a sensitive diplomatic matter, gave no reason for the decision. The spokesperson for the Ethiopian prime minister's office did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.
The expulsions follow a complaint Sudan's government said on November 1 it had lodged with the United Nations Security Council and the African Union's Peace and Security Council. Sudan accuses Ethiopia of allowing the Rapid Support Forces to use its territory to launch suicide drones against civilian infrastructure in Sudan. Addis Ababa denies it supports the RSF in Sudan's civil war.
Ethiopia in turn accuses Sudan, Egypt and Eritrea of supporting Tigrayan rebels who launched an offensive against government forces in September. All three countries have denied the allegation. Both sides deny the allegations against them.
Amjad Farid, political and foreign affairs adviser for Sudan's Transitional Sovereign Council, said: "The Sudanese government remains committed to its right to defend its territory. Nevertheless, it is making every possible effort to avoid an open war with Ethiopia." The conflict in Sudan has displaced more than 14 million people, according to UN figures, since it erupted in April 2023.