Mereja.Forum

[Abe Abraham]

Sudan and Ethiopia exchange handover of dozens of prisoners on the eastern border

On Sunday, Sudan and Ethiopia completed the exchange of dozens of prisoners, including civilians, under the supervision of the International Red Cross.

The Sudanese army spokesman, Brigadier General Nabil Abdullah, told “Sudan Tribune” that the Sudanese government handed over to its Ethiopian counterpart 53 soldiers who had sought refuge in Sudan during the armed confrontations between the Ethiopian forces and the Tigray Liberation Front.

"The Sudanese government received 9 citizens, including two soldiers, as part of the prisoner exchange process that took place in the Qalabat area on the border between the two countries," he added.

The Ethiopian forces kidnapped civilians last August from within Sudanese territory near the Setit River.

On Saturday, informed sources revealed to “Sudan Tribune” joint security talks between the Sudanese and Ethiopian security committees, with the support and backing of leaders in the Amhara region, and the Ethiopian consul in Gedaref, Ambassador Antana Tariko Falaka. It led to military and security understandings to exchange the release of a number of shepherds, livestock and weapons.

The Ethiopian authorities also handed over 71 heads of Sudanese camels, which belong to a senior camel breeder, Hassan Jumaa.

The handover took place in the Ethiopian "Ibrahjira" area opposite the Sudanese "Wad Umm Tawakul" area in the border locality of Quraisha.

In recent months, the confrontations on the border between the two countries have subsided, after the Sudanese forces were always chasing Ethiopian militias who deliberately incursed into Sudanese territory to kidnap Sudanese farmers and demand a ransom for their release.

Sudan says that it has recovered about 95% of the lands occupied by Ethiopia within its borders since it began extensive combing operations in November of the year 2020 to expel Ethiopian settlers who were exploiting Sudanese lands with its cultivation, but multiple sources in the region confirm that the army’s departure from the recovered areas contributes to the return of Ethiopians. to occupy it again.


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