The reported Nov. 4 closures and expulsions are based on unnamed officials quoted separately by Reuters and the Associated Press; the Ethiopian and Sudanese governments had not issued a detailed public explanation of these latest measures in the AP report. Sudan’s claim that RSF drones were launched from Ethiopian territory, and Ethiopia’s counter-accusation about Sudanese support for Tigrayan rebels, are disputed government allegations, not independently verified findings. Ethiopia has denied backing the RSF. The photos are dated contextual images, not photographs of the consulate closures or any alleged drone strike. The lead shows Asosa on Oct. 9, 2026; Arifly kaio7 / Wikimedia Commons, CC0 1.0, source https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Asosa_city.jpg. The inline image shows the Upper Atbara and Setit dam power plant in Gedaref state on July 31, 2018; Shihab E. / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0, source https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Upper_Atbara_and_Setit_Dam_Complex_Power_Plant.jpg. Original files are retained at public/newsroom/source-originals/ethiopia-sudan-consulates-20261106. The 896 × 1200 Asosa JPEG was converted to same-size WebP at quality 86; metadata was removed, with no crop or retouching. The 6000 × 4000 hydropower JPEG was resized proportionally to 1800 × 1200 and converted to WebP at quality 86; metadata was removed, with no crop or retouching. Both derivatives were decoded and visually inspected. The lead is CC0 1.0; the inline adaptation is published under CC BY 4.0 with creator and licence attribution.
A reciprocal closure near the frontier
Ethiopia and Sudan have closed each other’s consulates in two towns near their shared border, according to officials cited by Reuters and the Associated Press on Nov. 4. Ethiopia ordered six staff at Sudan’s consulate in Assosa to leave within 48 hours, while Sudan later closed Ethiopia’s consulate in Gedaref and expelled its staff, Reuters reported.
The Associated Press, citing an Ethiopian intelligence official and a Sudanese official who spoke anonymously, said Sudan’s ambassador had been summoned and the consular staff had left. Neither report described the closures as a break in diplomatic relations, and the two governments had not published a detailed explanation for the latest measures.
Drone claims remain disputed
The closures followed accusations linked to Sudan’s war. Sudan’s Foreign Ministry says drones used in attacks on infrastructure were launched from Ethiopian territory and supplied by the United Arab Emirates. Ethiopia denies supporting the Rapid Support Forces, the paramilitary group fighting Sudan’s army. The UAE has also denied arming the RSF.
Ethiopia has, in turn, accused Sudan of supporting anti-Ethiopian forces, including Tigrayan rebels. The claims have not been independently established in the reporting reviewed for this article; the officials’ accounts and the governments’ denials should not be read as proof of responsibility.
A local diplomatic channel narrows
Consulates handle services for citizens and provide a local channel for government contact. Their closure reduces that presence in Assosa and Gedaref, but it does not by itself mean that all diplomatic relations have ended. The reported expulsions add strain while Sudan’s war continues to drive a large displacement crisis across the region.
Sudan adviser Amjad Farid told Reuters that his country seeks to avoid open war with Ethiopia. With no public explanation for the reciprocal measures, it remains unclear whether the closures are temporary or will be followed by further diplomatic steps.
Sources
4 references
- ReutersEthiopia expels Sudanese diplomats after fresh allegations of support for RSFIndependent reporting, based on unnamed Ethiopian and Sudanese officials, on the reciprocal consulate closures, expulsion of six staff and the allegations each government has made. · 2026-11-04
- Associated Press via ABC NewsEthiopia expels 6 Sudanese consular staff and orders consulate closed, officials saySeparate reporting based on unnamed officials; says Ethiopia had not publicly announced the latest measures or their specific reason. · 2026-11-04
- Sudan News AgencySudan briefs diplomatic missions on drone attacks launched from EthiopiaSudanese government’s account of its allegations; does not independently verify the origin of the drones. · 2026-11-03
- Ethiopian Broadcasting Corporation / Ministry of Foreign AffairsEthiopia rejects Sudanese allegations, calls for dialogueOfficial Ethiopian statement denying support for the RSF and making a counter-accusation against Sudan; a government position, not independent verification. · 2026-05-05
