Sudan recalls its ambassador to Ethiopia after the 'execution' of seven of its soldiers
View of Addis Ababa on January 29, 2017 (Illustrative image).
REUTERS - Tiksa Negeri
Text by: RFI Follow
2 mins
Sudan said on Monday its intention to recall its ambassador to Addis Ababa and accused the Ethiopian army of having "
executed
" seven of its soldiers and taken a civilian prisoner, promising to retaliate against this "
cowardly act
".
The events, which allegedly happened near the Fashaga triangle - a territory claimed by the two countries, are to be attributed to Amhara militias, according to Addis Ababa.
Advertising
Read more
“
In an act that contravenes all the conventions of war and international law, the Ethiopian army executed seven Sudanese soldiers and a citizen
,” the Sudanese army accused overnight from Sunday to Monday.
These men were "
kidnapped on June 22 in Sudanese territory and then taken to Ethiopia
", accuses the Sudanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Monday.
According to a Sudanese military official, the soldiers had been captured in a border region, close to Al-Fashaga, an area of fertile land in Gedaref state.
This area in the east of the country is the subject of a
border dispute between Sudan and Ethiopia
.
Clashes
, sometimes fatal, occur regularly in this area
.
They intensified in 2020 with the war between the Ethiopian federal government and the regional authorities of Tigray, a region neighboring Sudan, which caused tens of thousands of Ethiopians to seek refuge in the neighboring country.
The Sudanese army has warned that "
this treacherous act will not pass
", in particular because the bodies would have been deliberately exhibited by Ethiopian forces.
Sudanese diplomacy affirms for its part "
immediately recall its ambassador to Ethiopia and summon the Ethiopian ambassador to Khartoum to inform him of the Sudanese condemnation of this inhuman act
".
Sudan further indicates that it will file a complaint with the UN Security Council and regional organizations.
Ethiopia points finger at Amhara militia
Addis Ababa took time to react to these deaths, which it considers “
tragic and regrettable
”: a local militia from the Amhara region would be responsible, reports our correspondent in Addis Ababa,
Noé Hochet-Bodin
.
But in a set of accusations that have become the norm, Ethiopia instead blames Khartoum for the initial assault.
An attack that would have
aimed to support the Tigrayan rebel party of the TPLF
.
This border dispute is fueling tensions between the two countries, which despite numerous rounds of negotiations have never yet managed to reach an agreement on the course of their border.
After the outbreak of conflict in the Tigray region, Sudan reclaimed land by force.
In addition to these tensions, the two neighbors are also opposed, particularly on
the great Renaissance dam on the Nile
, which Ethiopia is building and which Khartoum opposes.
(
With
AFP)
Newsletter
Receive all the international news directly in your mailbox
I subscribe
Follow all the international news by downloading the RFI application
google-play-badge_EN
Sudan
Ethiopia
Diplomacy