Sudan will not cede any of the disputed territory it recently recaptured from Ethiopian militia along its eastern border, reported the state-run Sudanese News Agency (Suna).
“The commander of the infantry’s 2nd Division, Maj Gen Haidar al-Tiraifi, has affirmed that Sudan would not give up an inch of the Sudanese territory of al-Fashaga, and announced the opening of the door for recruitment to the armed forces,” reported Suna.
The general was speaking as he received a support convoy from the Fallata tribe in the eastern state of al-Qadarif Wednesday morning.
He said “all the state’s residents to urge their sons to join the armed forces in order to protect the [country’s] territory and dignity”.
Gen al-Tiraifi said currently “the armed forces were engaged in major projects to develop the border strip region by constructing bridges and roads, in addition to providing basic services in the area to facilitate movement”.
The remarks by the senior military official comes a day after Ethiopian’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Dina Mufti ruled out talks between the two countries before Sudan withdrew its troops from the areas they retook recently.
Sudan and Ethiopia are embroiled in a bitter border row over the agricultural rich region of al-Fashaga.
In late December last year, Sudan declared that it had taken full control of all its territory along the disputed border, previously held by Ethiopian militia.
