Ethiopia has escalated its diplomatic confrontation with Eritrea and Sudan, accusing both neighbors of arming rebel groups and coordinating drone attacks on Ethiopian territory.
The Ethiopian Prime Minister’s adviser for the Horn of Africa, Getachew Reda, said in a statement on November 11 that he raised the allegations during a meeting with Guang Cong, the UN secretary-general’s special envoy for the Horn of Africa, in discussions that covered Sudan, Somalia and Eritrea’s regional role.
He accused Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki and Sudanese army chief General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan of equipping, arming and coordinating “subversive elements” inside Ethiopia, including through repeated drone attacks.
Sudan has previously complained to the UN Security Council and African Union that Ethiopia allows the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces to use its territory for drone attacks. Sudan has recorded more drone attacks than any other African state since 2023, with more than 1,000 violent drone episodes reported in the past year. Ethiopia denies that allegation, while Khartoum denies backing Ethiopian rebels.
Ethiopia has also repeatedly accused Eritrea of supporting Tigrayan rebels, claims Asmara denies. The Ethiopian federal forces have reportedly used drones against Tigrayan fighters, communications infrastructure and suspected command locations. Rebel-linked attacks have also targeted sites in and around Addis Ababa, prompting the government to ban drone flights in the capital and install anti-drone measures around sensitive state facilities.
A UN fact-finding mission found that foreign-supplied combat drones and loitering munitions have expanded the reach of both the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces. The mission reported that more than 1,000 people were killed in drone strikes during the first five months of 2026, and accused both sides of serious violations of international humanitarian law, with some conduct potentially amounting to war crimes.
According to Africa Center for Strategic Studies, drone-related violence caused more than 2,100 incidents and about 9,000 deaths in African conflicts in the past year. Armed forces in at least 40 African countries have acquired drones as part of their arsenals. In addition, armed nonstate actors are employing drones in at least 17 African countries, while 11 African countries now produce military drones, and several others have production efforts underway.
