The Border Wars You're Not Meant to See
Let's follow the trail: THE CLAIM: RSF Advances on Ethiopian Border Eyewitness accounts, as reported by The New Arab, indicate that Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have pushed into army positions in the southeastern border region near Ethiopia. This movement is framed within the ongoing conflict between the RSF and the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) since April 2023. The article
highlights the strategic importance of border towns and the displacement of civilians. THE EVIDENCE: A History of Disputed Territories and External Influence What the headline doesn't immediately convey is that this specific border region, particularly Al-Fashaga, has been a flashpoint for decades. Sudan and Ethiopia have long-standing, unresolved territorial disputes over the fertile Al-Fashaga
triangle, which Ethiopian farmers have cultivated for generations but which Sudan claims. In late 2020, border clashes between Sudanese and Ethiopian forces escalated significantly, leading to renewed military deployments and diplomatic tensions. (Crisis Group, 2021). The involvement of the RSF in this area changes the dynamic from a state-to-state dispute to a proxy battlefield within a wider
civil war, blurring lines of responsibility and potentially drawing Ethiopia further into the conflict. This isn't merely an internal Sudanese affair; it's a critical component of regional stability, or lack thereof. Data from the UN shows over 1 million refugees have crossed into neighboring countries since the conflict began, with a significant number fleeing towards Ethiopia, further