The Sudanese army accused Khalifa Haftar, the military commander of eastern Libya, of attacking the Sudan border outpost, for the first time that its northwestern neighbors were directly involved in the civil war, and now in its third year.
The war between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary rapid support force (RSF) (the military also accused of recent involvement in the recent attacks) was drawn in several countries, while international attempts to achieve peace failed.
In the early days of the war, Sudan accused Haftar of supporting RSF through weapons delivery. It has long accused Haftar's ally of the United Arab Emirates of supporting the RSF, including through a direct drone strike last month. The UAE denies the allegations.
Egypt also supports Haftar and has long supported the Sudanese army.
The attack took place in the Libya-Egypt-Sudan border triangle, the northern region of one of the main fronts of the war, El-Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, the Sudan Army spokesman, said in a statement.
He said the attack constituted a “blatant invasion of Sudan.”
Abdallah added: “regardless of the level of conspiracy and aggression supported by the United Arab Emirates and its militias in the region, we will defend our country and our national sovereignty and competent.”
The Sudanese Foreign Ministry accused the UAE of supporting the attack, describing it as a “dangerous escalation” and a “blatant violation of international law.”
“The Sudan-Libyan border has long been the main corridor for weapons and mercenaries supporting terrorist militias, funded by the UAE and coordinated by Haftar's forces and affiliated terrorist organizations,” it said in a statement.
Haftar's troops did not respond immediately.
According to AFP News, the RSF has not issued an official statement, but a source within the group said its fighters had taken control of Jebel Uweinat on Monday at the entrance, a remote mountainous area where three countries met.
