Sudan accuses Ethiopia of executing seven of its soldiers and a civilian

#Other countries : Sudan has accused the Ethiopian army of having “executed” seven of its soldiers and a civilian taken prisoner, promising to retaliate for this “cowardly act”.

«In an act that contravenes all conventions of war and international law, the Ethiopian army executed seven Sudanese soldiers and one citizen who were their captives»the Sudanese army said in a statement late Sunday evening.

«This treacherous act will not pass»she added, promising to answer «this cowardly behavior». The press release does not provide any further details.

Ethiopia did not immediately comment on the accusations.

According to a Sudanese military official, the soldiers had been captured in a border region, close to the disputed area of ​​Al-Fashaga.

A border conflict opposes Sudan and Ethiopia who dispute the fertile lands of the vast region of El-Fashaga, in the state of Gedaref (Eastern Sudan), an important and ancient stumbling block between the two countries of ‘East Africa.

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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 pushed tens of thousands of Ethiopians to take refuge in eastern Sudan.

Although Ethiopian farmers had settled in the El-Fashaga area for decades, Sudanese troops did not deploy there until following the outbreak of conflict in Tigray.

This border conflict 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. Khartoum and Addis Ababa have also been at odds for more than 10 years over the issue of the Great Renaissance Dam (Gerd) built by Ethiopia on the Nile.