Ethiopian Bombing in Tigray Prompts Sudan to Close Part of Border

Passengers queue to get on buses in Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa, Nov. 6, 2020, as the government carried out airstrikes in the country's restive Tigray region, prompting Sudan to close part of its border with Ethiopia.

Sudan has partially closed its border with Ethiopia, according to Suna, the Sudanese news agency.

The closure was announced Thursday by the acting wali (governor) of Kassala State and secretary-general of the state’s government, Fathal-Rahman Al-Amin, according to Suna.

He said a committee would decide what to do about civilians seeking refuge in Sudan.

Tigray region, Ethiopia.

The move follows tension in the northern Ethiopian region of Tigray, where the federal government has launched a military campaign.

The Ethiopian air force reportedly bombed military facilities in Tigray on Friday.

On Wednesday, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed ordered troops into Tigray in reaction to a deadly attack on a federal military base in the regional capital, Mekele.

Abiy’s administration blames the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), which controls the regional government, for the attack.

Aiby tweeted Saturday that his administration would “continue to take necessary law enforcement measures to safeguard & advance our nascent process of democratization from rogue political actors.”

The regional government in Tigray said on Facebook that a number of Tigrayans serving in the army and as federal police officers were dismissed while others were placed under house arrest.