Ethiopia denies role in border killings as Sudan recalls envoy

Sudan has recalled its envoy to Addis Ababa and summoned Ethiopia’s ambassador in protest at the alleged execution of seven Sudanese soldiers in a contested border area.

Ethiopia has denied that its army is responsible for killings – saying in a statement that it regretted the “loss of life” without specifying their number, and accusing the Sudanese forces of provoking the incident by crossing into Ethiopian territory aided by Tigray Peoples Liberation Front fighters.

It also alleged in a statement that the incident was “deliberately concocted to undermine relations” between the two nations:

A statement from the Ethiopian Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Ethiopian Ministry of Foreign AffairsCopyright: Ethiopian Ministry of Foreign Affairs

On Sunday the Sudanese military said that its soldiers had been held captive then killed with their corpses displayed in public. It vowed an response to the killings but did not specify what measures it would take.

Tensions have been high between Ethiopia and Sudan over the fertile farming area of al-Fashaga near their shared border.

Clashes between Ethiopian and Sudanese forces have been common over the decades but have escalated over the past year. A compromise deal signed between the two nations in 2008 has failed to end the conflict.

Ethiopia and Sudan are also locked in dispute over Ethiopia’s construction of a huge hydroelectric dam along the River Nile.

Source: BBC