Ethiopia: PM Abiy Ahmed Warns Parties Working to Incite War Between Ethiopia, Sudan, Refutes Reports of Ethiopian Forces Incursion Into Sudanese Border

20 April 2023
Addis Standard (Addis Ababa)

Addis Abeba — Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed (PhD) warned parties who he said are working to incite conflict and jeopardize ties between Ethiopia and Sudan, urging them to desist from their misdeeds.

PM Abiy's statement came against the backdrop of a report by the Sudanese media, Al-Sudani, which claimed that Ethiopian forces have carried out an invasion and attack on the disputed Al-Fashaqa on Wednesday, taking advantage of the ongoing instability in Sudan.

In a Twitter post today, PM Abiy said some parties are spreading false allegations to gain political advantages at this critical time when the peoples of Ethiopia and Sudan face many challenges. "They claim that Ethiopia has brought its forces into the Sudanese border areas. We strongly condemn these allegations, which seek to sully the good neighborly relations between the two countries."

The prime minister further indicated that since Ethiopia values brotherhood and good neighborliness between the two countries, it has no intentions of exploiting the current situation Sudan is going through. "We firmly believe in resolving the border issues through dialogue and discussions."

According to the report by Al- Sudani, the Sudanese Armed Forces stationed on the eastern border have observed an alert movement and unusual activity among the Ethiopian forces and their camps, since the eruption of fighting between Sudan's army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces in Khartoum.

"This coincided with the start of the fighting in Sudan, and additional armed crowds were also observed in offensive positions in the Abd al-Rafi sector in al-Fashqa al-Sughra," reads report; "The state's armed forces units engaged them right away with a variety of long-range fire systems, severely damaging the Ethiopian forces' people and equipment.

Al-Sudani's report claimed that the goal of the Ethiopian forces was to restore the disputed farm land of Al-Fashaga by taking advantage of the preoccupation of the armed forces in battles with the Rapid Support Forces.

However, Abiy said Ethiopia is confident that the Sudanese people should not be swayed by such allegations that imperil the two countries' relationship. "We all wish for peace and stability to return to Sudan."

The disputed territory, Al Fashaga, was the source of intense cross-border tension between the two nations, Ethiopia and Sudan, for 33 years in a row. In 2020 following the start of the civil war in the Tigray regional state, Ethiopia accused Sudan of taking advantage of its army's focus on Tigray and invading lands within Ethiopian borders.

The two countries have since then agreed to resolve the issues surrounding the long-standing dispute over the al-Fashaga territory peacefully. AS

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