KHARTOUM (Somaliguardian) – Sudan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Sunday that Ethiopian forces crossed the border into Sudan in an act of “aggression” as tensions continue to sour between the two countries.
“Sudan condemns and denounces the aggression made by Ethiopia by entering its forces into lands that belong to it legally, in direct violation of Sudan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” reads a statement by the Sudanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
“Ethiopia’s aggression on Sudanese soil is an escalation that is regrettable and unacceptable, and that it would have serious repercussions on security and stability in the region, and that Sudan holds Ethiopia fully responsible for the consequences of its aggression.”
Clashes between the two countries on the disputed Fashaqa triangle, an area mainly inhabited by Ethiopian farmers and located on the Sudanese side of the border, erupted late last year.
Ethiopia announced that it would not hold border talks with Sudan until the withdrawal of Khartoum’s forces from the disputed Fashaqa triangle, which has an area of about 250 km-square.
Sudan claimed last month that an Ethiopian plane had crossed into its airspace, though Ethiopia has later denied the allegation.
Since the beginning of December, Sudan has been accusing “Ethiopian forces and militias” of ambushing Sudanese forces along the border, while Ethiopia alleged that Sudanese army was responsible for the deaths of “many civilians” killed in attacks by its forces using “heavy machine guns”.
The two sides held border talks at the end of last year, and Sudan said on December 31 that its forces had regained control of all border lands occupied by Ethiopian farmers.
The Ethiopian Foreign Ministry said at the time that it was committed to a “peaceful” solution to the crisis, but wanted Sudan to withdraw.
Ethiopia has sent dozens of military convoys last week to the border with Sudan and there have been reports of Eritrean forces deployed to the area as tensions continue to simmer, while efforts to calm the dispute have yet to gather pace.
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