Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Reuters
Reuters
Business

Ethiopian PM says he has agreed with Sudanese leader to settle dispute

Sudan's military leader General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan flanked by Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed address the 39th Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) extraordinary summit in Nairobi, Kenya July 5, 2022. REUTERS/Monicah Mwangi

Ethiopia's prime minister Abiy Ahmed said on Tuesday he had reached an agreement with the leader of neighbouring Sudan to peacefully settle a border dispute that has led to clashes.

Abiy met Sudan's military leader, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, in Kenya's capital Nairobi, on the sidelines of a meeting for the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), an eight-member regional bloc for the horn of Africa and neighbouring states.

"We both made a commitment for dialogue (and) peaceful resolution to outstanding issues," Abiy tweeted on Tuesday.

Sudan's military leader, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan speaks with Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed as Workneh Gebeyehu, executive secretary of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), looks on during the 39th IGAD extraordinary summit in Nairobi, Kenya July 5, 2022. REUTERS/Monicah Mwangi

There was no immediate statement from the Sudanese side about the meeting.

The long-running dispute over a contested fertile border region, al-Fashqa, has fuelled a surge in tensions between the two countries in recent years, including clashes.

In the latest trading of accusations between both nations, last month Sudan accused Ethiopia's army of executing seven Sudanese soldiers and a civilian who had been taken captive.

The men had been seized on Sudanese territory on June 22 and taken into Ethiopia where they were killed, according to the Sudanese foreign ministry.

Ethiopia denied responsibility and blamed the killings on a local militia.

A day after the countries traded accusations over the killings, an Ethiopian official said Sudan's armed forces had fired heavy artillery during clashes in the disputed area.

(Writing by Elias Biryabarema; Editing by James Macharia Chege and Peter Graff)

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.