Sudan accuses Ethiopia of supplying RSF with arms

Sudan accused Ethiopia on Saturday of using one of its military bases to supply the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) with weapons and equipment and facilitate the passage of foreign fighters and mercenaries into Sudan.

There was no immediate response from Ethiopia or the RSF. Addis Ababa has previously denied supporting the paramilitary group or allowing drones to launch from its territory, affirming its respect for Sudan’s sovereignty.

During a meeting held by Sudan’s Foreign Ministry with diplomatic missions accredited to the country in the eastern city of Port Sudan, Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Muawiya Osman Khalid said: “The Asosa base in western Ethiopia has become a hub for supplying the rebel militia with weapons and equipment and facilitating the passage of foreign fighters and mercenaries.”

He said the more serious issue “is the use of Ethiopian bases and territory as launching points for drone attacks on Sudan,” according to the Sudan News Agency.

He added that the attacks “have escalated in recent months, targeting infrastructure and vital facilities, particularly electricity generation facilities, water stations, schools, hospitals and fuel stations, killing and injuring hundreds.”

The Foreign Ministry undersecretary said the meeting aimed to hold the international community, represented by diplomatic missions accredited to Sudan, to its responsibilities in confronting what he described as “brutal aggression” originating from Ethiopia.

He said the Sudanese government “is making efforts to de-escalate tensions and address imbalances in Sudanese-Ethiopian relations through various diplomatic means, while Sudan retains its full right to respond to any aggression, in accordance with the rights guaranteed under international law to states subjected to aggression.”

Khalid said the ambassadors and diplomats taking part in the meeting “affirmed their countries’ support for Sudan’s unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity, and their solidarity with the Sudanese people until the war ends and life returns to normal.”

On Wednesday, Khalid accused Ethiopia of continuing “its aggression against Sudan,” saying its conduct “has become dangerous.”

The remarks follow drone attacks that have targeted 10 power stations since Monday in the states of Khartoum, which includes the capital, as well as Al-Jazira in central Sudan and Sennar and Al-Qadarif in the east.

Since April 2023, Sudan’s army and the RSF have been engaged in a conflict stemming from disagreements over the integration of the paramilitary group into the military.

The conflict has killed tens of thousands of people, displaced nearly 13 million, and worsened famine and a humanitarian crisis across the country, according to UN and international estimates.

ANEWS wp:paragraph