Sudan recalled its ambassador to Ethiopia on Wednesday, the foreign ministry said, as tensions between the two countries are running high over the border area and the controversial Blue Nile dam in Addis Ababa.
“Sudan has recalled its ambassador to Addis Ababa for consultations over Sudanese-Ethiopian relations,” Mansour Boulad, spokesman for the foreign ministry, revealed.
He claimed that after the “completion of consultations” the envoy would return to his post, without elaborating on the essence of the discussions.
Khartoum’s step comes amid heightening tensions with Addis Ababa over the Al-Fashaqa border region, where fertile land claimed by Sudan is cultivated by Ethiopian farmers.
Accusations of aggression in the region and territorial breaches have been exchanged between the two neighbouring countries.
Khartoum reported on Sunday that, in an act of “aggression” and “regrettable escalation” Ethiopia had allowed its troops to invade Sudanese territory.
Ethiopia alleged last month that Sudanese forces were advancing deeper into the frontier zone.
After claiming that an Ethiopian military aircraft entered its airspace, Khartoum has barred aircraft from flying over the Al-Fashaqa region since last month, an allegation refuted by Addis Ababa.
According to Africanews, the tensions between the two countries, which along with Egypt were locked in inconclusive talks about the huge Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam on the Blue Nile River, come at a delicate time.
This month, Sudan warned Ethiopia that the second step of filling the mega-dam would be a “direct threat to Sudanese national security”
Ethiopia, which claims it has already met its first-year goal for filling the reservoir of the dam, has recently announced that it will continue filling irrespective of whether or not an agreement has been reached.
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