Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali has met with Sudan’s top army general, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, on the sidelines of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation in Beijing.
Both leaders are among the 50 African heads of state and government who have travelled to Beijing this week for the China-Africa summit 2024. The high-level gathering aims to strengthen ties at a time of increasing political and economic turmoil around the world.
The meeting follows their previous talks in July and focused on “a range of bilateral and regional issues of mutual concern”, Mr Abiy said in a statement.
Gen Burhan, who has been Sudan’s de facto leader for several years, is currently leading the Sudanese army in its conflict against the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
The talks come amid ongoing tensions in the region, with Sudan’s internal conflict threatening to spill over its borders.
Ethiopia, which shares a border with Sudan, has a vested interest in the stability of its neighbour. The two countries have had their own disputes in recent years, particularly over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam and border demarcation.
The meeting in Beijing provides an opportunity for the two leaders to discuss these pressing issues away from the immediate tensions of the region.
Neither Mr Abiy nor Gen Burhan have provided details of their discussions, but regional analysts suggest that the ongoing conflict in Sudan and its potential impact on neighbouring countries likely featured prominently in their talks.
