Metro

Sudan, Ethiopia on the verge of war as Sudanese military strikes disputed Al-Fashaqa border region

Published

2 months ago

June 29, 2022

Sudan and Ethiopia could be heading for a full scale war after Addis Ababa accused the Sudanese armed forces of firing heavy artillery during clashes in the disputed eastern border region of Al-Fashaqa.

Ethiopian officials reported on Wednesday that Sudan’s forces have been escalating the long-running feud over their shared border since Monday.

Latest reports also reveal that Sudan has captured Jabal Kala al-Laban, an area near the contested border following an artillery barrage and an air raid.

The fractious relationship between the two countries came to a head on Monday when Sudan accused Ethiopia of executing seven of its soldiers and a civilian who were held captives, an accusation the Ethiopian Army denied, but instead blamed the killings of the soldiers on a local militia group.

The Sudanese government had also filed a formal complaint with the United Nations Security Council over the killings and also recalled its Ambassador to Ethiopia in the heat of the conflict.

But in a statement on Wednesday issued by a security official in Ethiopia’s Amhara region, Assefa Ashege, the Ethiopian military said Sudan’s army fired long-distance artillery from Monday morning until Tuesday afternoon, but nobody was injured.

Local residents also confirmed that the Sudanese army had gained control of Jabal Kala al-Laban and had destroyed a military base there.

The dispute over the Al-Fashaqa region which lies within Sudan’s international boundaries but has been settled by Ethiopian farmers for decades, has escalated in recent years, coupled with Ethiopia’s construction of a hydropower dam over the Red Sea which Sudan says is an infringement on its territorial waters.

Related Topics:#war Conflict Ethiopia Featured Sudan

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Metro

UN peacekeeping mission to resume operations in Mali month after suspension

Published

11 hours ago

August 14, 2022

Ifeoluwa Dada

Barely a month after the Malian junta suspended operations of UN peacekeeping troops on its soil, a spokesperson of the mission has confirmed that mission will resume again on Monday.

Malian authorities in a statement in July suspended all rotations of the military and police contingents of the United Nations Mission in Mali (UNMIS). The suspension was in continuation of its position of severing foreign relations, the suspension includes UN mission that are already scheduled.

The spokesperson said the mission and Malian authorities had agreed on a streamlined rotation procedure and that the mission’s request to resume rotations on Monday had been accepted.

Mali’s foreign ministry could not be immediately reached for comment.

Relations between Mali and troop-contributing countries remain strained. On Friday, Germany said it was suspending its military reconnaissance mission, which provides intelligence to MINUSMA, after Malian authorities withheld a flight clearance

Mali under the current Junta of Colonel Goita has been on a thread of breaking diplomatic relations with allies.

It started by breaking defense alliance with the French, the junta also quit the anti-jihadist force, G-5 force but has enjoyed good relationship with Russia.

Metro

15 African migrants found dead in the Libyan-Sudan border desert

Published

14 hours ago

August 14, 2022

Akanimoh Etim

At least 15 African migrants were found dead on Saturday in the desert on the Libyan borders with Sudan, with authorities saying the tragedy involved migrants seeking a better life in Europe while perilous journeys through the deserts and the Mediterranean Sea.

The discovery of the victims was made by the Libyan Department for Combating Irregular Migration, in the southeastern city of Kufra, which said the migrants were on their way from Sudan to Libya when their vehicle broke down due to lack of fuel.

The agency, in a statement, said nine other migrants survived while two remain missing in the desert.

It added that there were women and children among the migrants, but did not elaborate on how many they were.

It also did not reveal causes of the migrants’ death, but said they did not have enough food and water.

“All the migrants were Sudanese, from a country in turmoil for years. The migrants likely attempted to reach western Libya in efforts to board trafficking boats to Europe,” the department said on its Facebook page.

In June, the Libya authorities had also discovered bodies of 20 migrants in the sprawling Kufra desert who they said died of thirst after their vehicle broke down close to the border with Chad.