Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok announced on Sunday that Sudan will continue its efforts to ensure stability in neighboring Ethiopia, which is experiencing violent conflict in the Tigray region amid rising tensions between the two countries. Hamdok stated during a press conference in Khartoum, "We will continue to make efforts for Ethiopia to be stable, unified, and safe, and we will not allow Ethiopia to collapse." He added, "Therefore, we are seeking with all parties to find a safe exit for Ethiopia, and we will not stop."
Earlier, Sudan had summoned its ambassador to Ethiopia, as announced by the Sudanese Foreign Ministry, after Addis Ababa rejected Khartoum’s efforts to mediate a ceasefire in the Ethiopian Tigray region. Addis Ababa expressed that its trust in some Sudanese leaders had "deteriorated" and accused the Sudanese army of "infiltrating" its borders.
The conflict in Ethiopia's Tigray region has been ongoing since November last year, when Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed launched a military operation against the Tigray People's Liberation Front rebels. Due to the fighting, tens of thousands of Ethiopians have fled to Sudan.
The relationship between Khartoum and Addis Ababa has been affected by a dispute over the fertile Fashaga agricultural area, where Ethiopian farmers operate, which Sudan asserts belongs to it. Bilin Seium, spokesperson for the Ethiopian Prime Minister, stated, "There are matters that need to be resolved before Sudan can be considered a reliable party to facilitate such negotiations."
The two countries have also had disputes since 2011 regarding the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam being constructed on the Blue Nile, one of the tributaries of the Nile River, with Egypt and Sudan fearing that the dam will affect their water supplies.
