Khartoum (Sudan), March 18: Chairman of Sudan's Sovereign Council Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan on Wednesday demanded that Ethiopia withdraw from all Sudanese territories.
"During the past two weeks, Ethiopia has sent forces to Baraka area, which is unjustified escalation and a hostile act against the country. We demand Ethiopia to withdraw from the Sudanese territories," said Al-Burhan when addressing the country's officers and soldiers on Wednesday.
"Unless there is recognition that this land is Sudanese, there will be no negotiation with the Ethiopians," added Al-Burhan.
He expressed regret over Ethiopia's claims of its ownership of the disputed lands, saying "the border with Ethiopia is known and planned since 1902."
In February, the Ethiopian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that Ethiopia reserves the right to self-defense if the aggression of the Sudanese army isn't reversed, accusing Sudan of invading land "that is part of Ethiopia's territory."
Al-Burhan, meanwhile, stressed Sudan's keenness to build natural ties with its neighbours, saying "our relations with our neighbours stand on mutual respect, understanding and trust, and we are seeking to resolve all our issues through peaceful and friendly means."
Since September 2020, the Sudan-Ethiopia border has been witnessing rising tensions and deadly skirmishes between the two sides.
Sudan accuses Ethiopian farmers, backed by armed forces, of seizing Sudanese lands at Fashaga area along the border and cultivating them since 1995.
Source: Xinhua
