By Brian Kiprono - Reporter
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Sudan, 6 May 2026 - Fresh tensions have emerged in Sudan’s ongoing civil war after the United Arab Emirates strongly denied accusations linking it to a recent drone attack on Khartoum International Airport.
The Sudanese army claimed the attack involved drones launched from Ethiopia with alleged Emirati backing, accusations that both countries have now rejected.
In a statement issued late Tuesday, a UAE official dismissed the allegations as false and politically motivated.
“These fabrications are part of a calculated pattern of deflection, shifting blame to others to evade responsibility for their own actions, and are intended to prolong the war and obstruct a genuine peace process,” the official said.
The accusations came after Sudan’s military spokesperson, Brigadier General Asim Awad Abdelwahab, alleged that drones used in attacks on several locations in Sudan had taken off from Ethiopia’s Bahir Dar airport.
According to Sudan’s army, the latest strike targeted Khartoum International Airport, which had only recently resumed international flights after years of closure caused by the conflict.
The military claimed it had evidence linking the drones to both Ethiopia and the UAE, although Reuters said it could not independently verify the information.
“What Ethiopia and the UAE have done is direct aggression against Sudan and won't be met with silence,” Abdelwahab said.
Ethiopia also denied any involvement, describing the allegations as baseless.
The latest accusations add another layer to Sudan’s devastating civil war, now in its third year.
The conflict erupted after relations between Sudan’s army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) collapsed over plans to merge their forces and restore civilian rule.
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Since then, the war has displaced millions of people and destroyed much of the country’s infrastructure.
Khartoum, which had recently shown signs of recovery after the army regained control in 2025, has again come under repeated drone attacks in recent days.
Residents told Reuters that several strikes had hit both military and civilian targets in Khartoum, Omdurman and other towns.
One attack reportedly struck a civilian bus in southern Omdurman, killing five people, according to activist group Emergency Lawyers.
The United Nations has described Sudan’s conflict as one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, with hundreds of thousands of people affected by violence, hunger and disease.
Meanwhile, international concern is growing over the role of foreign actors in the conflict.
Egypt and Saudi Arabia condemned the airport attack and warned against interference by neighbouring countries.
The United States also weighed in, with senior adviser for Arab and African affairs Massad Boulos saying outside support for either side of the conflict must end.
The UAE has repeatedly denied accusations that it supports the RSF, maintaining that it supports efforts to end the war peacefully.