Concerns in Sudan over renewed Ethiopian conflict
August 31, 2022 (GADAREF) – Sudanese farmers residing along the shared border with Ethiopia are worried over a resumption of hostilities between Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), and Ethiopian government forces.
Heavy fighting resumed last week, ending a five-month-long truce agreed by both warring parties.
Since, fighting is going on in a number of areas, in the east of al-Gidaima, southwest of the city of Hamra and southwest of al-Rawyan Mai Khadra, in addition to the second areas south of Tigray region and north of Amhara region in the Dansha areas.
During the weekend, Tigray forces who are in control of the northern Tigray region alleged taking control of several strategic towns from the Ethiopian army.
Meanwhile, Sudanese farmers along the eastern borders fear the impact of the war on their agriculture activities, while a new wave of refugees has begun.
Speaking to Sudan Tribune, farmers expressed their “concerns about the impact of military actions on agricultural operations, especially since they are carried out with cannons and heavy weapons.”
“Violent military clashes are taking place on the Sudanese-Ethiopian border between the Tigray forces, the Ethiopian army, and the Allied Fano forces.” a military source told Sudan Tribune.
They pointed out that the Tigray forces took control of the road linking Lagayt district and Bahr Dar province, where four-wheel-drive vehicles were deployed along it, to prevent the arrival of logistics supplies to Ethiopian forces from Gadaref state, in eastern Sudan, to the cities of Wolkayit and Humera.
As the fresh war rages, authorities in Sudan say more Ethiopian refugees are streaming to Sudan.
The fighting led Ethiopians to flee to Sudanese territory again, as the Babakri border centre in Basandah district received more than 35 refugees from the Ethiopian Qemant tribe.
The influx is expected to rise in the coming weeks.
On Tuesday, the Sudanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned the Ethiopian ambassador in Khartum and informed him of its objections to statements he made about the downing of a plane that Addis says violated its airspace approaching from Sudan loaded with weapons to the Tigray liberation front.
On August 24, the Ethiopian army announced the downing of a plane carrying weapons to the Tigray liberation front, violating its airspace from the direction of Sudan.
Ethiopia accuses Sudan of supporting TPLF, an allegation Khartoum denies.
Relations between the two neighbouring countries have soured after Sudan took control of the contested land in the al-Fashaga region by force in November 2020, at a time when the Tigray conflict erupted.
The relationship between Khartum and Addis Ababa worsened after the Sudanese army redeployed to the eastern border in November 2021, recovering 95% of the agricultural areas which Ethiopian farmers had seized for 26 years, with the support of their country’s militias and army.
(ST)