ADDIS ABABA, Aug. 27 (Xinhua) -- The African Union (AU) has called on all parties involved in Chad-Sudan border tensions to exercise "utmost restraint" and refrain from any action likely to heighten tensions between the two neighboring countries.
In a press statement issued Wednesday, it noted that AU Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf is following with concern recent reports of airstrikes carried out inside Chadian territory in Ennedi-Est Province, which borders Sudan, in connection with the ongoing conflict in Sudan.
The AU Commission chief underscored the critical need to "take all necessary measures to prevent the conflict in Sudan from extending beyond the country's borders."
He reaffirmed the union's commitment to the strict respect for the sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity of its members, as well as the principle of the inviolability of borders.
Youssouf reiterated the 55-member continental organization's readiness to support the two neighboring countries "in any initiative aimed at contributing to de-escalation, preventing further incidents, and preserving regional peace and stability."
Amid the escalating security situation along the Chad-Sudan border, Chad's army said on Saturday that it had been placed on high alert after aircraft and drones linked to the conflict in Sudan carried out airstrikes inside Chadian territory.
Chad shares a porous 1,300-km border with Sudan, a country that has been mired in armed conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces since mid-April 2023. The conflict has claimed tens of thousands of lives and displaced millions. ■