AA/New York
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday expressed deep concern over the deaths of eight Sudanese in Ethiopia, calling on both countries to show restraint and take concrete steps to reduce tensions.
This is what emerges from a press conference held by the spokesperson for the Secretary-General, Stéphane Dujarric, at the permanent headquarters of the United Nations in New York.
On Sunday, the Sudanese army announced that Ethiopia executed seven Sudanese soldiers and a citizen, assuring “that it will take retaliatory measures once morest this betrayal”.
Meanwhile, the Ethiopian military announced earlier Tuesday that it was ready to cooperate with its Sudanese counterpart in its investigations, expressing hope that the Sudanese government would avoid any escalation.
For his part, the spokesman for Guterres said: “The Secretary-General is deeply concerned by the resumption of clashes between Sudan and Ethiopia along the disputed border on June 22, which reportedly resulted in the death of 7 Sudanese soldiers and a civilian”.
And the UN official added: “the Secretary-General urges the two countries to show restraint and take concrete measures to ease tensions and resolve their differences regarding the Al-Fashaga region through peaceful means”.
“The Secretary-General also expresses his deepest condolences to the families of the victims,” he continued.
The border between the two countries is the scene of tensions, as Khartoum announced on December 31, 2020 that the army had taken control of all Sudanese territory in the Al-Fashaga border area with Ethiopia.
For its part, Addis Ababa accuses Sudan of having taken control of Ethiopian lands, which Khartoum denies.
Al-Fashaga area comprises the most fertile agricultural land in the Sudanese state of Gedaref (east) and is divided into three regions namely; the big Al-Fashaga, the little Al-Fashaga and the southern region.
*Translated from Arabic by Hajer Cherni
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