BLUE NILE — The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) have claimed that they shot down a drone believed to have been launched from inside neighboring Ethiopia, as heavy fighting continues in Sudan’s Blue Nile region near the border between the two countries.
According to Sudanese military sources, the drone was intercepted and brought down during ongoing military operations in the area. The army has not publicly provided full details about the drone’s model, its intended target, or the exact location from which it was allegedly launched.
The development comes amid an intensifying security situation along the Sudan–Ethiopia border, particularly in Blue Nile State, where fighting has increased in recent days. The region has become strategically important because of its proximity to Ethiopia and its location along key routes linking eastern and southeastern Sudan.
Sudanese military officials have repeatedly alleged that multiple drones have entered Sudanese airspace from Ethiopian territory during the current conflict. They claim that some of the drones have been used to conduct surveillance and attacks in support of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), Sudan’s main paramilitary force fighting the Sudanese army.
The Sudanese authorities have previously raised concerns over what they describe as cross-border military activity and alleged external support for the RSF. However, the allegations concerning Ethiopian territory and direct Ethiopian support for the RSF have not been independently established, and Ethiopia has not necessarily accepted Sudan’s claims.
The latest incident could further increase tensions between Khartoum and Addis Ababa, particularly as both countries face wider security challenges along their shared border.
The fighting in Blue Nile is also significant because the state borders Ethiopia and South Sudan and contains strategically important areas. Any expansion of the conflict toward the border could create additional displacement and humanitarian pressure on communities already affected by Sudan’s wider civil war.
Sudan has been engulfed in war since April 2023, when fighting erupted between the SAF and RSF. The conflict has killed and displaced large numbers of civilians and has increasingly drawn in regional actors, weapons networks and competing external interests.
For now, the Sudanese military’s claim that the drone originated from Ethiopia remains an allegation pending independent verification.
