Ethiopia PM Abiy Ahmed talks with Sudan's warring generals
People fleeing the Sudan conflict queue to board a boat from Port Sudan on April 28, 2023.
Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Friday held a phone discussion with Sudan’s rivals General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo over the conflict in the country.
The phone conversation focused on the need to settle differences amicably and bring stability in Sudan.
"I have held phone discussions with both General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo on the need to settle differences amicably and bring stability to Sudan,” Prime Minister Abiy tweeted after his discussion with both sides.
"The great people of Sudan deserve peace," Abiy added.
‘Productive conversation’
General Dagalo, the leader of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), similarly tweeted, confirming his phone discussions with the Ethiopian leader.
"I held a productive conversation with the Ethiopian Prime Minister, Abiy Ahmed Ali, during which we addressed various aspects of the ongoing crisis in Sudan and exchanged views on the current crisis" Dagalo said.
According to the Sudanese general, the Ethiopian prime minister emphasised the importance of finding a solution to the Sudanese issue.
"He also expressed his support for the Sudanese people and their choices, emphasising on Ethiopia’s readiness to provide assistance to help Sudan get through this crisis" Dagalo added.
This is the first time for Abiy to hold phone talks with the rival military leaders since Sudan slid into a sudden conflict on April 15.
The phone conversations came as Addis Ababa is reportedly seeking to mediate between the conflicting parties in collaboration with regional and bloc Igad and the African Union.
Sudan has been embroiled in a serious conflict due to a power struggle between its two most powerful generals who lead different military forces.
Since the outbreak of the Sudanese conflict, more than 500 people have been killed and over 4,000 injured.
The Ethiopian Embassy in Sudan also said that at least eight Ethiopians have died and four have been injured.
