The Sudanese Army has reported this Friday that it managed to shoot down an unmanned aircraft coming from Ethiopia over the border state of Blue Nile, in the southeast of the country, a region that in the last few weeks has become one of the main fronts of the hard-fought clashes against the paramilitaries Rapid Support Forces (RSF, for its acronym in English).
"Our air defenses managed this afternoon to bring down an enemy strategic drone in the Dandro area, which had crossed the border from Ethiopia," the Sudanese Army explained on social media, detailing the operation in which the aircraft was intercepted.
The Sudanese Armed Forces have been denouncing for months that Ethiopia allows the presence of paramilitary cells on its territory, a diplomatic standoff that intensified at the beginning of this month, when both governments decided to close their respective consulates, deepening the bilateral crisis.
At the same time, the Ethiopian Executive maintains its own accusations and holds the Sudanese Army responsible for providing support to the insurgents of the Popular Liberation Front of Tigray, active in northern Ethiopia, which adds another layer of tension to the already deteriorated relationship between the two neighboring countries.
In parallel with this diplomatic clash, fighting continues in the state of Blue Nile, especially around the strategically important military base of Sali, which is currently under pressure from a joint offensive by the RSF and one of its main allies, the Sudan Liberation Movement–North faction led by Abdelaziz al Hilu.
The Sudanese Army has been rejecting attacks against this military installation since last Monday, in a context of heavy losses on both sides, although the military authorities have not yet offered figures or additional details about the number of casualties.
The current military campaign in the south of Blue Nile dates back to March, when the RSF and SPLM-N launched an offensive that culminated on March 23 with the capture of Kurmuk. After the operation, the combatants took control of the local administrative headquarters and of the facilities of the 16th Infantry Brigade, after overwhelming the Army’s defenses in the areas of Jurut and Jor Arbudi.