Ethiopia expels 6 Sudan diplomats, orders closure of consulate, reports say

Move comes after Sudan lodged official complaints against Ethiopia, accusing Addis Ababa of supporting the RSF paramilitary group. Ethiopia has ordered six Sudanese diplomats to leave the country within 48 hours and closed Sudan’s consulate in the border town of Asosa, according to media reports. The allegations and counter-allegations, which both ⁠sides deny, have raised fears that the two wars could bleed into each other, spawning a broader conflict in the Horn of Africa.

The Reuters news agency, citing a senior Ethiopian official, reported on Tuesday that Ethiopia ordered six staff members of the Sudanese consulate in the border town ⁠of Assosa to leave within 48 hours. It said the official asked not to be named to discuss a sensitive diplomatic matter. The Associated Press news agency also reported the action, citing an Ethiopian intelligence official.

It also said a Sudanese official had corroborated the expulsions, adding that Ethiopian authorities had summoned Sudan’s ambassador on Sunday to announce the consulate’s closure.