Sudan regains ‘full control’ of areas previously occupied by Ethiopian farmers

KHARTOUM – The Sudanese foreign ministry announced on Thursday that the army has regained full control over all lands along the border that had been taken over by Ethiopian farmers.

“The armed forces have now fully recovered all Sudanese territory,” foreign minister Omar Qamareddine told reporters during a news conference in Khartoum.

“The borders have already been demarcated, all that’s remaining in our talks … is increasing the border signs,” Qamareddine said.

Tensions have flared between the two countries over the Al-Fashqa region of the border

Some 50,000 Ethiopian refugees poured across the border to escape the fighting in Ethiopia’s Tigray region.

Earlier this month, Khartoum accused Ethiopian “forces and militias” of ambushing Sudanese troops along the border, leaving some four dead and more than 20 wounded.

Addis Ababa downplayed the reported ambush, saying it did not threaten the relationship between the two countries.

Sudan has since deployed troops to the border region, and held demarcation talks with its eastern neighbour.

Ethiopia’s foreign ministry spokesperson Dina Mufti blamed “outside forces” for the tensions with Sudan.

He said in a Wednesday briefing that these forces hold “no care for both Ethiopian and Sudanese people, but want the region to be in chaos and want to benefit from that chaos.”