Sudan refuses to relinquish disputed Fashaga area with Ethiopia

Khartoum, Nov 30 (IANS) Chairman of Sudan's Transitional Sovereign Council, Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan has vowed not to relinquish the lands of Fashaga area on the border with Ethiopia, the Council said in a statement.

Al-Burhan visited the Baraka Noreen area at Fashaga town on the border with Ethiopia following an Ethiopian incursion into the area that resulted in the killing of six members of the Sudanese Army and injuring of 31 others.

Al-Burhan reiterated Sudan's commitment to the good neighbourly ties with Ethiopia, explaining that Sudan has no enmity with Ethiopia, the statement said.

He reiterated that Fashaga is a purely Sudanese land, vowing not to relinquish an inch of Sudan's territories, Xinhua news agency reported.

He called on the citizens of Fashaga area to engage in their agricultural activities, stressing the armed forces' determination to protect them against any threats and secure their farms.

On Saturday, the Sudanese Army said some of its units were attacked by the Ethiopian Army and cooperating militias, noting that the attack resulted in the killing of six Sudanese soldiers.

The border between Sudan and Ethiopia has been witnessing rising tensions and skirmishes between the two sides since September 2020.

On December 19, 2020, the Sudanese Army announced the deployment of strong reinforcements to the border area. Khartoum then announced retaking of what it terms as "the seized lands."

The border area of Fashaga between Sudan and Ethiopia, one of the five localities of Sudan's Gadaref state, often witnesses deadly attacks by Ethiopian militias during the preparation for the agricultural season.