A fresh regional conflict could be brewing in Eastern Africa after Sudan threatened to retaliate against Ethiopia over alleged drone attacks.
Sudan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation on Monday, March 2, claimed it had monitored the entry of unmanned aircraft from inside Ethiopian territory throughout February. According to the Ministry, the aircrafts targeted cities within Sudan.
“The Government of Sudan has been monitoring throughout February and the beginning of March the entry of drones from within Ethiopian territory targeting locations inside Sudan,” a statement from Sudan’s Foreign Ministry said.
While describing the alleged actions by Ethiopia as a “flagrant violation of Sudan’s sovereignty and an explicit aggression against the Sudanese state”, Sudan warned that it would not hesitate to retaliate if the attacks persisted.
The statement went on, “This hostile behaviour is condemned and rejected and constitutes a blatant violation of Sudanese sovereignty and an outright act of aggression against the Sudanese state.”
“The Government of Sudan warns the Ethiopian authorities against the consequences of these hostile acts and affirms its right to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity by all means necessary to counter such attacks.”
Sudan’s accusation is significant because it is an indication that Sudan believes Ethiopia is directly implicated in the conflict that has gripped the country for nearly three years.
In the ongoing war in Sudan, the country’s armed forces have been pitted against a paramilitary group, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), with recent fighting being concentrated in Blue Nile state near the Ethiopian border.
Sudanese forces say they repelled coordinated ground offensives earlier this year. Following the failure of those assaults, the Foreign Ministry claims that drone strikes intensified in districts and villages near the Ethiopian border, raising suspicions in Khartoum about possible cross-border involvement.
At the time of publication of this article, Ethiopia has yet to publicly respond to Sudan’s allegations.
For Kenya, the brewing tensions between Ethiopia and Sudan could carry some ramifications since the country maintains strong diplomatic relations with both Khartoum and Addis Ababa. Kenya has also been a key mediator in conflicts in the Horn of Africa.
Kenya has previously had ties to the RSF, although this is rooted in diplomacy rather than direct military support. In 2025, Nairobi hosted a high-profile meeting at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre that brought together figures linked to the RSF and allied political networks in Sudan.
The Sudanese government sharply criticised the event, accusing Kenya of providing a platform for elements tied to a group.
