Al-Burhan Heads to Fashqa After the Death of Sudanese Soldiers at the Ethiopian Border

The Chief of Staff of the Sudanese Armed Forces, Lieutenant General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, is heading to Fashqa on Monday to assess the situation there and to inspect the armed forces personnel at the eastern border of the country. The announcement of Burhan's visit comes after six Sudanese soldiers were killed in clashes in the Fashqa border area with Ethiopia. The Sudanese army announced on Saturday that the Ethiopian army and allied militias attacked the Fashqa border area, which is a disputed agricultural area between the two countries. The Sudanese News Agency (SUNA) reported that Sudanese forces were present in the area to protect farmers during the harvest season. The ongoing dispute with Ethiopia has lasted for decades over vast areas of agricultural land, which Sudan claims are within its borders, according to an agreement that delineated the border between the two countries in the early 20th century. The two countries have held several rounds of talks, the last of which was in Khartoum last December to settle the dispute, but they have made no progress. Tensions escalated late last year after Sudan deployed its forces in Fashqa and expelled Ethiopian farmers and militias from the region. According to the Sudanese army, at least 84 Sudanese soldiers were killed in clashes with Ethiopian forces and militias from November 2020 until August of this year.