Sudan: Ethiopian troops ‘repelled’ after al-Fashaga advance

Sudan: Ethiopian troops ‘repelled’ after al-Fashaga advance

Sudan says it has repelled an attempted “incursion” by Ethiopian troops into its territory.

The head of the Sudanese military, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, said this showed how the army was protecting the country after last week’s coup attempt.

In its statement, Sudan said the incident happened in the district of Umm Barakit.

Ethiopia’s military has not responded to the BBC’s request for comment.

But al-Jazeera quotes Ethiopian government sources as saying: “We deny the movement of our forces on the Sudanese border or their incursion into any area.”

Umm Barakit sits within the disputed al-Fashaga border region, where there has been increased tension.

For decades, Ethiopians there have been farming on fertile land claimed by Sudan.

Relations between Sudan and Ethiopia have further deteriorated since Ethiopia started filling a giant dam on the River Nile and war broke out in its northern Tigray region.

In recent months, a number of clashes have been reported in the wider al-Fashaga region.

Sudan has been stationing troops there since the end of last year, and the UN stated earlier this year that Eritrean troops, Ethiopian troops and ethnic Amhara militia where also operating in the disputed region.