Ethiopia has rejected what it described as “baseless accusations” against it involving a series of drone attacks that hit Sudan’s international airport on Monday.
Sudan’s Foreign Minister Mohi El-Din Salem said in a statement seen by APA on Wednesday that his country is “ready to enter into an open confrontation with Ethiopia.”
In response on Tuesday, the Ethiopian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in a statement, rejected Sudan’s accusations and instead accused Khartoum of violating Ethiopia’s territorial integrity.
The statement accused the Sudanese Armed Forces of overlooking the extensive involvement of Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) mercenaries in the ongoing conflict, alleging that Sudanese military actors have provided arms and financial support to those groups.
According to the statement, the activities of TPLF fighters in Sudan are “a matter of public record,” and the government claims there is credible evidence indicating that Sudan has become a base for anti-Ethiopian forces operating against the country.
Ethiopia further alleged that the accusations made by Sudanese military officials are being driven by external actors pursuing what it called a “nefarious agenda.”
Despite the growing tensions, Ethiopia emphasised that it remains committed to supporting the people of Sudan and maintaining the historic relations between the two neighbours.
The Ethiopian government also renewed its call for an immediate end to the conflict in Sudan, stressing that there is no military solution to the ongoing civil war.
It urged all parties to agree to an immediate humanitarian truce, followed by a lasting ceasefire and an independent, inclusive, and transparent civilian-led political dialogue aimed at restoring peace and civilian rule in Sudan.
“In recognition of the fraternal ties between the two nations, the Ethiopian government has exercised restraint and refrained from publicizing the grave violations of Ethiopia’s territorial integrity and national security committed by some belligerents in the Sudanese civil war,” the ministry said.
It said the violations include the “extensive use of the Tigray People’s Liberation Front mercenaries” in the conflict, accusing the Sudanese Armed Forces of providing “arms and financial support to these mercenaries, thereby facilitating their incursions along Ethiopia’s western frontier.”
Since mid-April 2023, the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces have been engaged in a war that has killed tens of thousands and displaced millions of people inside Sudan and abroad, according to international estimates.
MG/as/APA