Eritrea renews accusations to Sudan, Ethiopia and Qatar of supporting Jihadist groups

May 15, 2018 (KHARTOUM) – The Eritrean government on Monday has reiterated allegations that Sudan, Ethiopia and Qatar are providing support to opposition Jihadist groups to destabilise security in the Horn of Africa country.

“During the visit of Prime Minister of the Democratic Federal Republic of Ethiopia to Khartoum two weeks ago, the two sides agreed to provide the necessary support to what they called “Eritrean resistance” by all means that enable them to carry out tasks entrusted to them through allowing them to move freely along the joint border,” said the Eritrean Information Ministry in a press release on Monday

“To this end, Major General Hamdi Al-Mustafa from the Sudanese government and a consul named Burhan at the Ethiopian Embassy in Khartoum were assigned to carry out the coordination effort for “Jihadist” organizations alongside the Qatari funding,” added the press release.

Last March, Eritrean information ministry accused Sudan and Qatar of establishing a military training camp for an Eritrean opposition group led by the Islamist Mohammed Jumma.

Also, Asmara claimed that Doha provided Sudan with three Mig fighters and funding a joined Sudanese Ethiopian force deployed along the border with Sudan.

However, Khartoum denied the accusations saying they are just “fabricated and unfounded claims”.

The internationally isolated government in Asmara was not happy with the development of a close alliance between its arch-foe Ethiopia and Sudan. Khartoum turned its back to Asmara after refusing its repeated efforts to reconcile the two neighbours and to forge a regional cooperation area.

Frustrated by the rapprochement between Cairo and Asmara, last January, Khartoum accused the two neighbours of backing unidentified opposition groups. The Sudanese government further closed the border deployed thousands of troops.

(ST)