Djibouti – Sudan Now | May 9, 2026
Vice President of Sudan’s Transitional Sovereignty Counci, Malik Agar, held a closed-door meeting with Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed in the Djiboutian capital, in the presence of Djiboutian President Ismaïl Omar Guelleh.
The meeting discussed developments in Sudan and the wider region, as well as ways to strengthen bilateral relations between Khartoum and Addis Ababa, and the role Djibouti could play in bridging differences and supporting stability in the Horn of Africa.
The mini-summit comes amid rapidly unfolding diplomatic developments in the region, and follows days of escalating tensions between Sudan and Ethiopia over Sudanese accusations that Addis Ababa allowed its territory to be used in launching drone attacks targeting Khartoum International Airport and other sites inside Sudan.
The Sudanese government said it possesses evidence indicating that drones were launched from a base near the Ethiopian city of Bahir Dar, accusing Ethiopia and United Arab Emirates of involvement in the recent attacks. Meanwhile, Khartoum announced the recall of its ambassador to Addis Ababa for consultations and said it would move forward with filing official complaints to the United Nations and regional organizations.
The presence of the Djiboutian president gave the meeting significant regional weight, amid Djibouti’s efforts to help ease tensions between Khartoum and Addis Ababa and prevent a wider escalation across the Horn of Africa.
Observers believe the meeting represents an attempt to open a direct political channel between Sudan and Ethiopia following a period of diplomatic and media escalation, particularly given the sensitivity of security-related issues involving border tensions, the use of drones, and foreign involvement in the war in Sudan.
Tensions between Sudan and Ethiopia have escalated in recent days after Khartoum accused Addis Ababa of allowing its territory to be used as a launch platform for drone attacks against Sudan.
A spokesperson for the Sudanese Armed Forces said that data retrieved from one of the drones shot down in March showed it belonged to the UAE and had been launched from Bahir Dar Airport. Khartoum described the incident as “external aggression” threatening its sovereignty and national security.
