Egypt Stresses Support for Sudan over Ethiopian Border Attacks  

On Thursday, Egypt offered its sincere condolences to Sudan for the victims of the assault on the Sudanese armed forces, around the Abou Toyour Mountain area adjacent to the Ethiopian border; it resulted in the death of a number of soldiers and left a number of others injured, according to the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

In a statement, the ministry affirmed Egypt's full solidarity with the Sudanese government in its right to protect its security and maintain its sovereignty over its lands, denouncing these unjustified attacks.

According to the statement, the ministry voiced its deep concerns over such attacks and their severe repercussions on the security situation in the region.

Earlier today, Sudanese Prime Minister, Abdallah Hamdok, issued a press release confirming news that have been circulating on an assault by Ethiopian armed inpiduals on a Sudanese military patrol that took place on December 15.

Hamdok said that a force was patrolling Abou Toyour Mountain on the Sudanese territory in the evening of Tuesday, and on its way back, "it was ambushed by Ethiopian militias and forces." The Sudanese prime minister revealed that the assault resulted in human and material losses saluting the martyrs.

The Sudanese Transitional Cabinet asserted backing and support to the Sudanese Armed Forces as well as confidence in its ability to fend off any aggression against the country.

After withdrawing from the tripartite negotiations on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) in November, Sudan declared agreeing with Ethiopia on resuming talks and activating the High Joint Committee on Border Issues by convening it next week.

That was after a visit paid by Hamdok – accompanied with Foreign Minister Omar Kamar El Din and chief of the General Intelligence Agency - to Addis Ababa on Sunday. The visit was planned to last for two days but Hamdok returned to Khartoum after a few hours without any clarification on the reasons.