Sudan has sent “significant military reinforcements” to the border with conflict-hit Ethiopia, state media said Saturday; days after the army said troops were ambushed there by Ethiopian forces.
Soldiers were deployed in the eastern Al-Fashaqa border region, the site of sporadic clashes; where Ethiopian farmers cultivate fertile land on territory claimed by Sudan.
The area also borders Ethiopia’s troubled Tigray region, where fighting broke out last month; causing over 50,000 Ethiopians fleeing the conflict to cross into Sudan in recent weeks.
“The Sudanese armed forces continued to advance on the front lines inside Al-Fashaqa to recapture the stolen lands and take up positions on the international lines,” Sudan’s SUNA news agency said.
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Sudan’s army said troops were attacked on Tuesday evening in an “ambush by Ethiopian forces; and militias inside Sudanese territories”.
Sudanese media said four soldiers were killed and 27 also wounded; although the army did not confirm the reports.
General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, who heads the armed forces and the Sovereign Council, Sudan’s highest executive body, visited the area this week.
Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok, on a visit to Addis Ababa last week; spoke to his Ethiopian counterpart Abiy Ahmed about demarcating the border between the countries.
Addis Ababa was keen to downplay the importance of the ambush; saying the incident did not threaten the relationship between the two countries.
