Ethiopia asks for Turkish mediation in Sudan dispute

Ethiopia said on Wednesday that it would be grateful if Turkey offered to mediate in the recent border dispute with Sudan.

In exclusive statements to the Anadolu News Agency, Ethiopian Foreign Ministry spokesman Dina al Mufti said, "war is not on our agenda at the present time," pointing out that the Ethio-Sudanese  border dispute could be solved through "diplomatic ways."

Concerning Ethiopia's ties within the Horn of Africa, al-Mufti said that Ethiopia has great relations with Eritrea, Djibouti, Somalia, and Kenya, as well as Sudan, despite the border dispute.

It is worth mentioning that, Sudan summoned its ambassador to Ethiopia earlier today for consultation over a border dispute with Ethiopia.

On Sunday, Sudan condemned Ethiopian forces for their new “aggression” on Sudanese lands, without providing a specific time.

“Sudan condemns the aggression of Ethiopian forces on the lands legally belonging to Sudan, which was a direct violation of Sudan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” said the Sudanese foreign ministry in a statement.

The Ethiopian aggression was also “a violation of the values of neighborliness and positive interaction among countries that enhances stability and security,” the ministry added.

It demanded Ethiopia immediately stop its encroachment on Sudanese territories and ensure completion of the re-demarcation of the borders as agreed upon while holding Ethiopia fully responsible for the consequences of its “aggression.”

Since September 2020, the border between Sudan and Ethiopia has been witnessing rising tensions and skirmishes between the two sides.