Sudan Accuses Ethiopia And UAE Of Orchestrating Drone Attacks On Khartoum Airport

Sudan accused Ethiopia and the United Arab Emirates of orchestrating drone attacks on Khartoum airport, describing the assault as “direct aggression.”

“The Sudanese government has accused Ethiopia and the United Arab Emirates of being behind recent drone attacks, including at Khartoum airport”

Al Jazeera

Sudan’s military spokesperson Brigadier General Asim Awad Abdelwahab said Sudan had obtained evidence of four drone attacks since March 1 originating from neighbouring Ethiopia’s Bahir Dar airport, and that it claims the UAE provided the drones used in the attacks.

Al Jazeera

The BBC reported that the international airport in Khartoum was hit on Monday, along with military installations in the Greater Khartoum area, and that no-one was wounded in the attack, citing Sudan's information minister.

The BBC also said Sudan recalled its ambassador to Ethiopia for “consultations,” after Foreign Minister Mohieddin Salem made the accusation.

Ethiopia rejected Sudan’s “baseless accusations” and blamed its army for supporting “mercenaries” from the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), according to Al Jazeera’s account of Ethiopia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs statement.

A UAE official told the AFP news agency that Sudan’s claims were “These fabrications are part of a calculated pattern of deflection – shifting blame to others to evade responsibility for their own actions – and are intended to prolong the war and obstruct a genuine peace process.”

Al-Jazeera Net

The BBC said the UAE responded to the latest accusations by calling them “unfounded accusations and deliberate propaganda” that undermine efforts to resolve the conflict.

In parallel, the BBC reported that Sudan’s army said it had “conclusive evidence” that the drones were launched from Bahir Dar airport in Ethiopia, as the state-owned Sudan News Agency (Suna) reported.

Sudan’s Foreign Minister Mohieddin Salem said Sudan would not initiate attacks against other countries, but that “whoever attacks us will be met with a response,” and he warned Sudan was ready to “enter into an open confrontation” with Ethiopia “if it becomes necessary.”

“UAE denies involvement in Sudan airport attack CAIRO, May 6 (Reuters) - The United Arab Emirates denied allegations by Sudan that an Emirati drone had been used in an attack on Khartoum airport on Monday launched from Ethiopia, according to a statement by a UAE official late on Tuesday”

Al-Monitor

The BBC reported that the authorities were forced to announce a 72-hour suspension of operations at the airport following the attacks, and that the information ministry said the airport would return to operations after routine safety procedures.

Al Jazeera also said previous attacks were launched towards the Sudanese states of Kordofan, Blue Nile and White Nile, and that a drone attack on Saturday on Omdurman killed five people travelling on a civilian bus.

The AP reported that Sudan’s military spokesperson said the government had analyzed data and evidence from a drone that entered Sudanese airspace heading for El-Obeid in Kordofan state on March 17 and found that it had originated from the UAE and took off from Ethiopia.