Sudanese President al-Burhan Arrives in Asmara for Talks with President Isaias
The Chairman of Sudan’s Transitional Sovereign Council, Lieutenant General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, arrived in Asmara this morning and was welcomed by Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki.
The two leaders are expected to discuss bilateral relations and the security crisis in Sudan.
Sudan remains at war with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The conflict has increasingly pulled in neighbouring states and become a wider Horn of Africa crisis.
Sudan accuses Ethiopia of allowing drones to be launched from its territory against Sudanese airports and military sites. In May 2026, Khartoum said strikes on Khartoum International Airport took off from Bahir Dar Airport and also blamed the United Arab Emirates for supplying the aircraft. Sudan later said it shot down more drones crossing into Blue Nile State from Ethiopia in August 2026.
Ethiopia rejected the charges as baseless, and the UAE denied involvement.
Sudan also accuses Ethiopia of hosting RSF training and logistics sites near the border. Reuters reported a camp in Menge, Benishangul-Gumuz, where thousands of RSF fighters were being trained. Yale researchers and Middle East Eye later said an Ethiopian army base in Asosa showed activity consistent with support for RSF operations in Blue Nile State. Ethiopia and the UAE deny backing the RSF.
Eritrea’s Support for the Sudanese Army:
Eritrea has backed the Sudanese Armed Forces since the war began. It has trained Sudanese troops and allied groups, allowed weapons to pass through its territory, hosted Sudanese fighter jets to protect them from RSF drones, and received thousands of Sudanese refugees.
Why the Visit Matters:
The meeting highlights closer military and political ties between Asmara and Khartoum. It also comes as Sudan’s war is becoming entangled with rising tensions between Ethiopia and Eritrea.
Footnotes
¹ Eritrean Ministry of Information / APO Group, 17 July 2026.
² BBC and AP reporting on the Khartoum airport drone strikes, May 2026.
³ Reuters, “Ethiopia builds secret camp to train Sudan RSF fighters,” 10 February 2026; Middle East Eye / Yale HRL, 8 April 2026.
⁴ Ayin Network / allAfrica.com, “Sudan’s War Caught in the Ethiopia-Eritrea Crossfire,” 1 September 2026.