Ethiopia has accused Sudanese troops of killing “many civilians” in recent fighting on disputed land at the nation’s border.
Tensions between the two countries have risen since the conflict broke out in the northern region of Ethiopia, Tigray, on November 4, with several deadly clashes taking place on fertile agricultural land in the al-Fashqa area, which stretches across the border. The dispute risks drawing a third nation into a regional conflict that has already involved troops from neighboring Eritrea.
Ethiopian authorities have observed Sudanese military forces carrying out organized attacks using heavy machine guns and armored convoys at their border, Dina Mufti, a spokeswoman for Ethiopia’s Foreign Ministry, told reporters on Tuesday. Ethiopian farmers in the region have had their property looted, while “many civilians have been killed and injured,” he said.
Sudanese Foreign Minister Omar Qamar al-Din did not respond to requests for comment and appeals to the North African nation’s intelligence ministry and the Sudanese army went unanswered.
Al-Din said last week that the Sudanese army had taken control of most of the disputed land in the al-Fashqa area. He downplayed the escalation of the conflict, saying the government would use diplomatic channels to resolve the dispute.
The two sides met last month to discuss the border issue, but made no progress.
Amhara militia
Foreign diplomats and Sudanese officials who followed the talks said that while Sudanese troops moved into the al-Fashqa area after Ethiopian federal troops left to help in the Tigray conflict, large groups of Ethiopian ethnic militias Amhara s -they mobilized in the area.
The state of Amhara, whose fighters have supported the Ethiopian federal army’s incursion into Tigray, claims ownership of parts of al-Fashqa, including areas in Sudanese territory.
Amhara militias “assert renewed border aggression that could lead to additional challenges,” said Cameron Hudson, a senior senior at the Atlantic Council Africa Center. “If unchecked, this is the kind of ‘low-probability, high-impact’ scenario that could have devastating and far-reaching consequences.”
Sudan says the border area around al-Fashqa was demarcated under colonial-era treaties dating back to 1902, putting the land firmly within its international borders. Khartoum has historically allowed Amhara farmers to do business and live on fertile land as long as they pay taxes and operate in accordance with Sudanese law, and Ethiopia in turn has recognized the land as Sudanese.
Foreign fighters
The Sudanese border has already been destabilized by the fighting in Tigray. The UN said on Tuesday that dozens of refugees continue to arrive in Sudan due to persistent violence in the area.
“About 800 people crossed the Tigray region of Ethiopia in eastern Sudan in the first few days of the new year,” said Andrej Mahecic, a spokesman for the UN refugee agency in Geneva. “The latest arrivals say they were caught in the conflict and were victims of various armed groups.”
Despite previous denials, Ethiopian officials have begun recognizing the presence of Eritrean troops inside Tigray. Speaking to regional broadcaster Tigray, which is now effectively controlled by the Abiy administration, Ethiopian Army Major General Belay Seyoum said last week that Eritrean troops entered Ethiopia “uninvited” as federal forces were attacked by Tigrinya troops.
“We sense that was supposed to happen, “he said. “We can solve our own internal problems. We are able to do this. “
“With the assistance of Samuel Gebre.”
(Updates with UN comments to Ethiopian officials in the second paragraph after the subtitle “Foreign Fighters”)