Sudanese military says repelled attack by Ethiopian forces along border

The Sudanese Armed Forces in a statement said on Monday that it repelled an attack by Ethiopian forces at the Anfal site in the eastern bank of the Atbara River in the Al-Fashqa area.

the Military statement posted by the armed forces on its Facebook page, indicated that it “responded to an attack by some components of the Ethiopian forces at the Anfal site, and the aggressors suffered great losses, and returned them in their wake.”

“The armed forces affirm their right to defend their lands by all legitimate means and will remain vigilant and determined to fulfill their duty to protect the land of Sudan and its borders.” The Statement said

On Sunday, RT Arabic reported that Sudan confronted an attack by the Ethiopian forces at a military camp along the border.

While in in late May 2020 the border region between Sudan and Ethiopia witnessed military tension, as clashes took place between Ethiopian gunmen, backed by the military, and the Sudanese Armed Forces.

Sudan and Egypt are also involved in a conflict with Ethiopia over the Renaissance Dam; this has been at the forefront of the tensions between the three African nations.

According to the related reports, Major General Nasr al-Deen Abd al-Qayyum, governor of Sudan's eastern Gadaref province, said while the Sudanese armed forces had on Sunday "successfully fended off an attack by Ethiopian forces, there were no losses in the Sudanese army except for a slight injury to one soldier," the governor said in a statement to Turkish news agency Anadolu without further details.

Earlier on Sunday, Sudan's irrigation and water resources minister, Yasser Abbas, told reporters that Sudan did not want any "escalation" of hostilities between dam-builder Ethiopia and fellow Nile river countries Sudan and Egypt.

"Negotiations are the only solution," Abbas said. "Signing an agreement is a prerequisite for us before filling the dam. Sudan has the right to demand it."

Tensions over the Nile river dam have escalated in recent days after renewed negotiations failed produce an agreement over its filling.

Sudan says calling for resumption of new negotiation with Egypt and Ethiopia after the US-led mediation effort collapsed earlier this year.