Ethiopia expels six Sudanese diplomats over rebel support claims
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Sowetan
Ethiopia has ordered six members of Sudan’s consulate in Assosa to leave the country within 48 hours amid mutual accusations of supporting enemy forces. Khartoum accuses Addis Ababa of aiding the Rapid Support Forces, while Ethiopia accuses Sudan of supporting Tigray rebels, Sowetan reports.
Ethiopia has ordered six Sudanese diplomats to leave its territory within 48 hours, a senior Ethiopian official said on Wednesday. The six members of Sudan’s consulate in Assosa, a border town, were targeted by the measure, whose reason was not made public, according to Reuters.
The decision comes as Khartoum accuses Addis Ababa of supporting the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which are involved in the war in Sudan, while Ethiopia accuses Sudan of backing rebels from the Tigray region. Both governments reject the accusations made against them.
The Sudanese government said on Sunday that it had approached the UN Security Council and the African Union Peace and Security Council, accusing Ethiopia of allowing the RSF to use its territory to launch suicide drones against civilian infrastructure. The conflict in Sudan has displaced more than 14 million people since April 2023, according to the UN.
The Ethiopian measure comes as the leader of the TPLF, Tigray’s political and military movement, says his troops are still fighting in the region, according to a statement by the TPLF leader published on 22 October. Sudanese Adviser for Political and Foreign Affairs Amjad Farid said Khartoum wanted to defend its territory while avoiding an open war with Ethiopia.
