December 1, 2020 (GADAREF) – Sudanese army handed back 50 Ethiopian soldiers who crossed the border area
of Al-Fashaqa in Gadaref state, Sudan Tribune has learnt on Tuesday.

The Ethiopian force consists of 31 soldiers belonging to the Ethiopian National Defence Force (ENDF), 13 from the Ethiopian Federal Police, 6 from the Ethiopian Customs Authority, in addition to a woman, military sources told the Sudan Tribune.

The military force was commanded by an officer with the rank of Lieutenant.

He and his soldiers came from the western Tigray via the city of Mai Khadra and surrendered to the Sudanese authorities at the Lugdi border crossing in Al-Fashaqa locality of Gadaref state.

On 21 November, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed gave the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) forces 72 hours to surrender before to launch a military offensive on Mekelle, the capital of Tigray region.

On 28 November, the Ethiopian army captured Mekelle without significant resistance amid reports that the TPLF leader had evacuated the town several days ago.

The Sudanese military sources said that the handover of the Ethiopian fleeing troops occurred after the capture of Mekelle, without giving a specific date and the reasons for the handover in detail.

The handover took place in Metema town in northwestern Ethiopia, on the border with Sudan, the source said stressing they also gave back their weapons and equipment.

General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan head of the Sovereign Council was in Addis Ababa three days before the comprehensive attack of the federal army on the recalcitrant TPLF leadership which continued to the federal government.