Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed (PhD) dismissed reports that Ethiopian troops have entered into territory currently held by Sudanese forces along the contested border.
The Prime Minister issued the statement on Thursday in response to a number of reports claiming that Ethiopian forces had entered al-Fashaga to regain control of territory lost to Sudan during the Tigray conflict.
Both Ethiopia and Sudan have claimed al-Fashaga as their own.
Sudanese military personnel held al-Fashaga up until Saturday before an armed conflict between the military and paramilitary forces broke out in Khartoum, Sudan.
Deadly clashes broke out between the Sudan Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in a power struggle that has claimed the lives of more than 300 people. Some reports from Sudan indicate that troops from al-Fashaga have joined the national army in the conflict in Khartoum. Some reports claimed that Ethiopia used this as an opportunity to regain control of the area, but PM Abiy denied this.
Abiy has blamed parties attempting to advance their political goals by fabricating stories as such. The Prime Minister stated, “It is really terrible that these groups are alleging that Ethiopia moved its forces within the Sudanese border areas.”
The claim “leads to distorting the good neighborly relations between Ethiopia and Sudan,” Abiy says.
Abiy expressed his conviction that the border dispute between Ethiopia and Sudan must be resolved through dialogue and discussions, as Ethiopia values brotherhood and good relations with its neighbors.
The Ethiopian government does not wish to take advantage of the current situation in Sudan, Abiy stated, adding that recent claims have been made without sufficient evidence implicating the Ethiopian government.
He says that Ethiopia always prioritizes peace, whereas “others are working at top speed to provoke Sudan to send its troops inside Ethiopia’s border.”
Abiy also reiterated Ethiopia’s confidence that the Sudanese people will disregard such claims because Ethiopians value good neighbors.
In addition, he warned parties he claimed were working to incite conflict and endanger relations between Ethiopia and Sudan, “imploring them to cease their misdeeds.”
