Sudanese Military Repels Incursion by Ethiopian Forces

Sudanese military officials said on Sunday that an attempt by Ethiopian forces to cross the border between the two countries was repelled. Ethiopia’s neighbors are worried about its civil war spreading instability across the region, and Sudan is particularly nervous after an attempted coup last week.

Ethiopian military chief Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan was short on details at his press conference, saying only that an unidentified force from Ethiopia moved into the Umm Barakit area of Sudan on Saturday and was forced to retreat back across the border. Gen. Burhan notably declined to say whether any shots were fired during the incident.

Umm Barakit, also known as al-Fashaga on the Ethiopian side, is a long-disputed strip of border territory. Ethiopian farmers have long worked the region even though it is formally claimed by Sudan thanks to a compromise reached in 2008. A large number of Ethiopian refugees fled through al-Fashaga into Sudan over the past year as the conflict between Ethiopia’s central government and the Tigray province escalated. 

Some clashes between Tigrayan fighters and forces loyal to the central government have been reported from Umm Barakit recently, possibly involving ethnic militias and Eritrean troops fighting on behalf of President Ahmed Abiy. The militias are mostly from the Amhara tribe, which resents Sudanese control of the border region and feels its concerns were not properly addressed when the 2008 border deal was reached.

In addition to concerns about the Ethiopian civil war spreading instability, there are growing tensions between Sudan and Ethiopia over land and water rights, especially involving Ethiopia’s plan to build a gigantic dam across the Nile River. Sudan, like Egypt, fears the dam could have a devastating impact on downriver farmland.

The Ethiopian government on Sunday denied ordering any of its forces to cross the border into Sudan.