Sudan Urges Ethiopia to Withdraw Army from 'Occupied Territories'

On Sunday, the Sudanese Security and Defense Council appealed to Ethiopia to withdraw its forces from the remaining positions it still held by it in Margad, Khor Hammar, and Gatrand.

During the council meeting,  Sudanese Minister of Defense, Lt-General Yassin Ibrahim said, "despite the Ethiopian military mobilization carried out in the areas facing our forces in Al-Fashaqa, we affirm that our forces will remain in their lands in order to preserve sovereignty stipulated in the charters and agreements that affirm Sudan's right in Al-Fashaga."

Yesterday, Chairman of Sudan’s Sovereign Council Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan said that his country does not want to start a war with Ethiopia.

In statements, Burhan stressed that his country is working to protect its borders with Ethiopia.

“The negotiations with Ethiopia dealt with controlling areas on the borders to prevent any infiltration, without mentioning that they are not Sudanese,” Burhan added.

Sudanese-Ethiopian Border Tensions

Earlier on Wednesday, the Sudanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that an Ethiopian military aircraft penetrated Sudan’s borders in a ‘dangerous and unjustified escalation’.

In a short statement posted on ‘Twitter’, the Sudanese Foreign Ministry said: “In a dangerous and unjustified escalation, an Ethiopian military aircraft penetrated the Sudanese-Ethiopian borders, which could have dangerous consequences and cause more tension in the border region.”

The ministry condemned this escalation, noting that such hostilities would have ‘their dangerous repercussions on the future of bilateral ties between the two countries and on security and stability in the Horn of Africa.’

Earlier, official Sudanese sources stressed Khartoum’s commitment to resolving the dispute with Ethiopia over border issues through dialogue.

The sources said that the military forces are stationed on Sudanese territory in accordance with the international law, confirming that the army is able to defeat any attempt to violate the borders, Al-Arabiya reported.

The sources also accused Ethiopia of seeking to seize Sudan’s territory and impose its control.

On its part, Ethiopia accused Sudan of violating its borders after monitoring some movements within the border region, calling for negotiations to address the crisis.

During a press conference, Ethiopian foreign ministry spokesman Dina Mufti said that Addis Ababa has adopted calm in the dispute with Sudan.

Mufti added that country sought not to exaggerate the issue of the borders with Sudan and make it a regional issue, as it can be resolved through dialogue, but this matter has limits.