Sudan closes border with Eritrea

Sudan has closed its border with Eritrea a week after Sudan’s President Omar al-Bashir announced a six-month state of emergency in the regions of Kassala and North Kurdufan, Reuters reports the state news agency SUNA as saying on Saturday.

SUNA did not provide reasons for the border closure.

Last week’s decree was part of ongoing disarmament campaigns against traffickers that started near Darfur and Blue Nile in October.

SUNA said:

Kassala governor, Adam Gemaa Adam, issued a decree ordering the closure of all border crossings with the state of Eritrea, based on the presidential decree … that declared the state of emergency in the state of Kassala

Read: Sudan announces state of emergency in Kassala, North Kordofan

Three Kassala residents told Reuters that troops had been deployed near the border. The military spokesman couldn’t be reached for comment.

The decision was effective on Friday evening, the agency added.

UAE-backed Egyptian forces arrived in Eritrea last week, while Sudan deployed it’s own troops along it’s borders with Eritrea in the last few days.