Sudan's Chief of Staff Visits Border with Ethiopia

The Sudanese Chief of Staff, Lt. Gen. Mohamed Osman, announced on Sunday that the army forces are deployed along the border with Ethiopia and are working to secure it with the continued flow of refugees.

Osman remarked, during a tour he made today, Sunday, to the border region, that Sudan is not taking sides with any of the parties to the conflict in Ethiopia.

These statements come at a time when refugees from the Ethiopian Tigray Region continue to flow to Sudan, fleeing the ongoing battles there, after the Addis Ababa government launched its military campaign in the region early this month, blaming the opposition "Tigray People's Liberation Front" responsible for attacking military bases in the area.

With the escalation of violence in the region, the government of the southern Sudanese state of Al- Gedarif decided two weeks ago to close its borders with the Amhara and Tigray regions.

The Sudanese authorities confirmed that the continuing influx of Ethiopian refugees, whose number recently exceeded 30,000 people and may reach 200,000 according to United Nations estimates, represents a great economic pressure, calling on UN organizations to intervene quickly and provide humanitarian aid.

Osman arrived in Al-Fao town in Gedarif State  Sunday to  attend  the conclusion of celebrations of  the Eastern Military Area which are  taking  place under the  theme “We Will Get Its  First Status  Back ”

The closing day will include military parades, sports competitions, the inauguration of establishments, exhibitions, cultural nights, and honoring the first generation of the military men, according to SUNA.