Khartoum accuses Ethiopia of allowing attacks launched from its territory and takes the allegations to the UN and African Union. Strikes against electricity infrastructure are adding a new dimension to the conflict, raising concerns over regional security in the Horn of Africa.
KHARTOUM -Sudan's war is increasingly extending beyond its borders, as a diplomatic confrontation between Khartoum and Addis Ababa develops alongside a growing campaign of drone attacks against civilian infrastructure.
On November 2, the Sudanese government announced that it had submitted formal complaints against Ethiopia to the United Nations Security Council and the African Union's Peace and Security Council. Khartoum accuses its eastern neighbour of allowing the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) to use Ethiopian territory as a launchpad for drone attacks against Sudanese targets.
According to the Sudanese Foreign Ministry, the complaints include documents and evidence that allegedly demonstrate the use of Ethiopian territory to launch explosive-laden and missile-equipped drones against civilian facilities and strategic infrastructure. The government described the alleged activity as a hostile act and called on Ethiopia to prevent further attacks.
The accusations come amid a sharp escalation in strikes against Sudan's electricity network. According to Sudanese authorities, at least 13 electricity stations in Khartoum, Al Jazirah, Sennar and Al Qadarif have been targeted since late October. Subsequent attacks have extended to Kassala and Northern State, with more than 17 distribution stations reportedly suffering significant damage.
On November 2, three additional substations were hit in New Halfa, Aroma and Northern State, triggering further power outages. The attacks have disrupted essential services, including water supplies, hospitals and other civilian facilities.
The electricity campaign is particularly significant because it targets infrastructure that remains essential to the functioning of territories controlled by the Sudanese army. The damage to power stations also threatens agricultural production and the operation of water-pumping facilities, compounding the humanitarian consequences of a war that has already displaced millions.
Ethiopia and the widening regional confrontation
The accusations against Ethiopia mark a further deterioration in relations between the two neighbouring countries. Sudanese officials have repeatedly alleged that Addis Ababa is providing logistical and territorial support to the RSF, claims that the Ethiopian government has denied.
According to a report presented by Sudan's army-led Transitional Sovereignty Council on November 1, Khartoum documented 70 attacks involving 187 one-way attack drones allegedly launched from Ethiopian territory between February 15 and October 27. The report identified locations including Asosa Airport in western Ethiopia and Bahir Dar airbase in the Amhara region as alleged launch sites. These findings have not been independently verified.
The dispute also reflects broader tensions along the Sudan-Ethiopia border, where security concerns intersect with longstanding political and territorial disagreements. Ethiopia, for its part, has accused the Sudanese army of supporting armed groups linked to the Tigray People's Liberation Front, an allegation rejected by Khartoum.
The involvement of neighbouring territories, whether through direct military participation or logistical support to armed groups, risks transforming Sudan's internal conflict into a wider regional security confrontation.
A conflict with consequences for the Horn of Africa
Since April 2023, the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), led by Abdel Fattah al Burhan, and the RSF, commanded by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, have been fighting for control of the country. The conflict has progressively expanded across multiple regions, with both sides increasingly employing long-range drones.
The growing use of unmanned aircraft has changed the operational dynamics of the war, allowing attacks against military positions and civilian infrastructure far from the front lines. The electricity network has become one of the latest targets, exposing the vulnerability of essential services and increasing the costs of reconstruction.
The regional implications extend beyond the bilateral relationship between Sudan and Ethiopia. Instability along the border could affect neighbouring countries, complicate humanitarian operations and create additional pressure on an already fragile security environment across the Horn of Africa.
For the international community, the diplomatic complaints submitted to the UN and the African Union raise a further question: how to prevent the conflict from becoming increasingly internationalised through cross-border military support and the use of neighbouring territories.
Sudan's war is therefore no longer only a struggle for political and military control within its borders. Its evolving drone campaign and the accusations directed at Ethiopia point to a regional crisis whose consequences could extend across the wider Horn of Africa.
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