NAIROBI
Sudan has ordered the closure of Ethiopia’s consulate in the eastern city of Gedaref and given its diplomatic staff 48 hours to leave the country, local media reported Wednesday.
Sudanese news website Al-Zawiya Net reported that the decision came in response to Ethiopian authorities closing Sudan’s consulate in Assosa and ordering six Sudanese diplomats to leave within the same period.
Sudanese broadcaster Tayba TV also reported the decision, citing local media and a Sudanese government source.
According to the reports, Khartoum’s move was based on the principle of reciprocity amid escalating diplomatic tensions between the two neighboring countries.
Relations between Sudan and Ethiopia have deteriorated amid mutual accusations of supporting armed groups.
On Tuesday, the Sudanese army announced that its air defenses had shot down what it described as a hostile strategic drone over Blue Nile state after it entered Sudanese airspace from neighboring Ethiopia.
The army did not identify the drone’s operator, and there was no immediate comment from Ethiopian authorities.
Sudan has previously accused Ethiopia of allowing the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) to use its territory to launch drone attacks against civilian infrastructure.
Khartoum also submitted complaints to the UN Security Council and the African Union Peace and Security Council over the allegations.
Ethiopia, meanwhile, has accused Sudan of supporting rebels in its northern Tigray region.
The two countries have also experienced longstanding tensions over the disputed Al-Fashaga border region, where Sudanese and Ethiopian forces have previously clashed.
Ethiopia’s consulate in Gedaref was officially opened in June 2015 to strengthen bilateral relations, facilitate cross-border cooperation and address shared security concerns, including human trafficking.
The latest diplomatic dispute comes amid Sudan’s ongoing conflict between the army and the RSF, which erupted in April 2023 and has caused widespread displacement and a deepening humanitarian crisis.
