Sudan Accuses Ethiopia of Allowing RSF Drone Launches From Its Territory

Sudan has accused Ethiopia of permitting the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces to launch drone strikes from Ethiopian territory, a claim that, if substantiated, would mark a significant escalation in the regionalisation of Sudan's civil war.

The allegation raises urgent questions about the RSF's evolving military capabilities and the extent of its foreign backing. Since the war erupted in April 2023, the RSF has transformed from a ground-based militia into a force capable of aerial operations, a shift that suggests external support well beyond what its own resources could sustain.

Ali Mahmoud Ali, a Sudan researcher at ACLED (Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project), told France 24 that the RSF's drone capabilities point to sophisticated supply chains that could involve multiple regional and international actors. Ethiopia has denied the allegations, but the accusation itself reflects the deepening entanglement of Horn of Africa states in Sudan's conflict.

The broader pattern is troubling. The UAE has been repeatedly accused of providing military support to the RSF, while Egypt has backed the Sudanese Armed Forces. As each neighbour picks a side, the prospect of a negotiated settlement grows more remote, and the humanitarian catastrophe, already the world's largest displacement crisis, deepens further.

Based on reporting by FRANCE24