Sudan hands over 61 captive soldiers to Ethiopia

KHARTOUM, Sudan

The Sudanese army on Tuesday said it handed over 61 captive soldiers to Ethiopia.

“The (Sudanese) armed forces handed over 61 captive prisoners of the (Ethiopian) army to the Ethiopian government at the Gallabat border crossing,” the army said in a statement.

With a 1,600-kilometer (994-mile) shared border, Sudan and Ethiopia are engaged in a conflict over the al-Fashqa Triangle, a decades-long disputed border without rigid demarcation that was renewed in November.

While Khartoum said it imposed its control on Sudanese territory where Ethiopian militias were present, Addis Ababa accused the Sudanese army of controlling the Ethiopian region, a claim denied by Khartoum.

*Bassel Barakat contributed to this report from Ankara.