(Reuters) – Sudan said on Thursday its forces had taken control of all of Sudanese territory in a border area settled by Ethiopian farmers, after weeks of clashes.
Ethiopia, for its part, accused its neighbor of sending forces into its territory for attacks.
Border tensions have reignited since the outbreak of a conflict in Ethiopia’s northern Tigray region in early November, which sent more than 50,000 mainly Tigrayan refugees fleeing into eastern Sudan.
Clashes have occurred in recent weeks over agricultural land in the al-Fashqa area, which lies within Sudan’s international boundaries but has been settled by Ethiopian farmers for years.
On Saturday, Sudan said it had taken control of most, but not all, of the territory. Acting Foreign Minister Omar Gamareldin told a news conference on Thursday it had now taken the rest.
Talks between the two countries over the border broke down last week. Sudanese officials say Ethiopia has not formally disputed the border, which was demarcated decades ago. But comments from Ethiopian officials suggest disagreement.
At a news conference on Tuesday, Ethiopia’s foreign ministry spokesman Dina Mufti accused Sudan of sending troops onto its land.
“The condition has reached a point where some (Sudanese) political leaders were saying it was their land, and they controlled their own land and they are not going to leave the land,” he said.
Reuters did not mention any Sudanese entity or official who declared that ‘Sudan fully controlled the disputed land with Ethiopia.’
