Ethiopian Deputy Prime Minister Demeke Mekonnen has accused Sudan’s army of killing several innocent people and destroying properties in “major raid” into its territory.
Speaking at Ethio-Sudan border joint high-level political committee meeting in Khartoum, Ethiopia’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Affairs Minister Demeke Mekonnen blamed the Sudanese armed forces for major incursion, supported with heavy artillery and military vehicles.
“The Sudanese army killed several innocent people, looted agricultural outputs, destroyed camps and denied farmers to harvest their crops,” the Deputy Prime Minister complained.
The Ethiopian government is concerned with recent incursions, the Deputy Prime Minister said adding, the situation would jeopardize the long standing relations of the two neighboring countries.
The Deputy Prime Minister urged for immediate resolution of the ongoing border conflict based on agreed principles in a way that does not affect the day-to-day activities of farmers living at the border areas.
Sudan on its part claimed the Ethiopian militia group penetrated Sudan’s border to fetch water at the Atbara River and killed at least four Sudanese troops in ambush.
Spokesperson of the Ethiopian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Dina Mufti told the state-affiliated Fana TV that Ethiopia and Sudan have agreed to resolve border disputes once and for all.
Ambassador Dina Mufti’s suggestion comes ahead of the joint meeting in Sudan’s capital and amid reports that Sudan has deployed troops along the Ethiopian-Sudanese border where there was a clash with Ethiopian militia men last week.
Chief of the Sudanese Army, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, reportedly confirmed that Sudan deployed troops to protect its territorial integrity and citizens as well as preserve the sovereignty of the homeland.
Sudanese Prime Minister Hamdok and Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Sunday met in Djibouti on the sidelines of the 38th IGAD Extraordinary Summit of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government and assigned a committee to demarcate the disputed border.
The attack from Sudan’s side is not linked with Sudan’s government, Dina has said.
