Addis Ababa, August 26 (Darfur24)
African Union Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf has expressed concern over reports of airstrikes in Chad’s eastern Ennedi region on August 20, amid fears that Sudan’s war could spill across the border.
In a statement on Wednesday, Youssouf called on all parties to exercise restraint and avoid actions that could heighten tensions between neighboring countries.
The African Union warned of the risks of the Sudanese conflict expanding beyond its borders and reaffirmed its commitment to the sovereignty, territorial integrity and inviolability of the borders of its member states.
The bloc stressed the importance of dialogue and regional cooperation to prevent cross-border incidents, secure common borders and reduce the risk of further regional escalation.
The AU also said it was ready to support the countries concerned in efforts to de-escalate tensions, prevent further incidents and preserve peace and stability in the region.
The statement follows a military escalation in desert areas near the Sudan-Chad-Libya border. Clashes broke out Sunday between the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and a joint force allied with the Sudanese army in Wadi Hawr, North Darfur.
Local sources said the clashes were linked to the movement of an RSF unit through border areas. According to accounts circulating locally, the unit was subsequently subjected to an airstrike inside Chadian territory, causing it to disperse, before some of its members clashed with the joint force inside Sudan.
The joint force later said it had destroyed and captured dozens of vehicles and detained several RSF members. Chad, meanwhile, said a convoy more than 100 kilometres inside its territory had been targeted by airstrikes, which it attributed to the Sudanese army or its allies.
The developments have raised concerns that military operations linked to Sudan’s war could increasingly spill into Chadian territory, particularly as the border has become a major route for the movement of troops and supplies.
Sudan’s warring parties have repeatedly accused neighboring countries of allowing their territories to be used to support opposing sides in the conflict.