Ethiopia Pulls Up Additional Forces To Sudan's Eastern Border - Military Source

KHARTOUM (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 15th June, 2021) Ethiopia has deployed additional troops to the eastern border with Sudan, though the action is not aimed aggression against a neighboring state, a Sudanese military source told Sputnik on Tuesday.

"Ethiopia's Amhara militia arrived at the border area near Kashkaash. The troops are pulled up to the Sudanese eastern borders," the source said.

According to the source, the move has been most likely aimed at preventing escalation in the confrontation between the tribes in the Ethiopian province of Benishangul. They stressed that the growing presence of Ethiopian troops in the region does not concern Sudan or violate its sovereignty.

Another explanation, the source noted, is that the military build-up in Benishangul is an attempt by Addis Ababa to score some extra political points in the upcoming parliamentary elections.

Sudanese political scientist Mohammad Idris, in turn, suggested in an interview with Sputnik that "the build-up of Ethiopian troops on the Sudanese borders is not a harbinger of war, but a simple military redeployment, since Addis Ababa has no means of waging a war.

"

Idris agreed that minor clashes with Sudan serve the purpose of increasing the public authority of the Ethiopian government ahead of the elections. At the same time, the international standing of the country has been weakened over the Renaissance dam issue and disputed territories with Sudan, the expert added.

Parliamentary elections in Ethiopia are scheduled for June 21. They were originally supposed to take place last year, but were postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic. The decision triggered armed clashes between Federal troops and the forces of the country's northernmost region, Tigray, located near the border with Sudan.