Al-Burhan, EU envoy discuss Sudan-Ethiopia border conflict

June 29, 2022 (KHARTOUM) – The head of Sudan’s Transitional Sovereignty Council Gen, Abdul-Fattah Al-Burhan on Tuesday met the European Union (EU) envoy for the Horn of Africa, Annette Weber in the capital, Khartoum.

The meeting tackled the current conflict between Sudan and Ethiopia, days after Khartoum accused Ethiopia of killing seven soldiers and a civilian.

Ethiopia has denied involvement and blamed the incident on ‘local militia’.

Al-Burhan, SUNA reported, expressed Sudan’s keenness to maintain sound and balanced relations with neighbouring Ethiopia.

The Director of the European and American Affairs Department at Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Abdul-Wahab Mohamed Al-Hejazi said the meeting was “clear and frank”.

The official, in a statement, said Al-Burhan assured the EU envoy of situations in Sudan and the region in general, further stressing the role of the EU and  its members in facilitating the Sudanese-Sudanese dialogue was fully acknowledged.

He said the meeting discussed the situations in the region, in addition to the huge and continued efforts the EU has been making to help Sudan contain the negative effects resulting from the regretful developments of the Russian-Ukrainian war.

In recent years, tensions between Sudan and Ethiopia have run high in because of a spillover of the conflict in Ethiopia’s northern Tigray region and Ethiopia’s construction of a giant hydropower dam on the Blue Nile.

Tens thousands of refugees have fled into eastern Sudan and there have been military skirmishes in an area of contested farmland along Sudan-Ethiopia border.

(ST)