BY BECHA ZEWDIE
Ethiopia and the Sudan have abundant assets of social, political, economic and cultural value accumulated over the years that they share.
Though there have been disputes among the two countries over the border demarcation since long ago, they have been handling it in a civilized AND diplomatic way until the recent skirmish. Regardless of the accusation of one another concerning the skirmish, there is a will to solve the situation in a peaceful manner from both sides.
A briefing session organized by the Sudanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and National Borders Commission on 13 January 2021 can be considered as a manifestation of the willingness to solve the dispute peacefully.
The briefing session was organized for diplomatic missions, consulates and international organizations accredited to Sudan. On the session, Yibeltal Aemero, Ambassador Extraordinary Plenipotentiary of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia to the Republic of the Sudan, underscored the need for Ethiopia and Sudan to resolve their differences on the boundary peacefully as per the bilateral agreements and joint boundary mechanisms put in place to handle the matter, Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated on its official webpage.
In this regard, the Ambassador particularly emphasized the significance of the Exchange of Notes made between the Foreign Ministers of the two countries on 18 July 1972 that provides for amicable solution to the problem arising from settlement and cultivation North of Mount Dagelish. He further stated that, as per the 1972 Exchange of Notes, prior to the re-demarcation of the Gwynn line North of Mount Dagleish, the Joint Special Committee should submit to the Joint Ministerial Commission a report containing an amicable solution to the problem arising from settlement and cultivation.
Although, the Ambassador indicated, the Joint Special Committee convened 8 rounds of meetings to carry out the task of proposing an amicable solution, it has not yet finalized its mandate.
Ambassador Yibeltal further stated that while the work of the Joint Special Committee was still in progress and when the Ethiopian National Defence Forces moved to the Tigray region on November 4, 2020 for law enforcement operation, the Sudanese Army taking advantage of the internal situation in Ethiopia entered inside Ethiopian territory and looted property, burned civilian camps, killed and attacked Ethiopians while displacing thousands in flagrant violation of the 1972 Exchange of Notes. Besides, the Ambassador added, contrary to the spirit of friendship and cooperation existing between the two sisterly countries, the Sudanese Army took and controlled vacated Ethiopian Military Camps.
The Ambassador also underlined that, Ethiopia which has been on the side of the Sudanese people during all times of difficulties, does not deserve such an attack from Sudanese Army while it was busy of managing its own internal affairs.
Ambassador Yibeltal in his briefing also mentioned that all the recent unprecedented action of the Sudanese Army will complicate the bilateral relations including the pending task of the re-demarcation of the common boundary with huge implications to peoples of the two countries and the region at large unless corrected urgently.
He finally underscores Ethiopia’s firm commitment to peacefully resolve the boundary issue between Ethiopia and Sudan on the basis of the bilateral agreements reached and the joint boundary mechanisms put in place to handle the matter.
The Ambassador further indicated Ethiopia’s view on the way forward as follows:
First, the recent intrusion by the Sudanese Army needs to be reversed and the pre-November 2020 status quo should be maintained as per the 1972 Exchange of Notes.
Second, the Joint Special Committee needs to finalize the task of proposing an amicable solution as per the 1972 Exchange of Notes to the problems arising from settlement and cultivation North of Mount Dagleish which is a prerequisite for the re-demarcation of the Gwynn Line North of Mount Dagleish.
Third, the joint boundary mechanisms put in place for the re-demarcation of the boundary (Joint Boundary Commission, Joint Technical Boundary Committee and the Joint Special Committee) need to be reactivated to discharge their mandates.
Other friendly countries of these historically tied sisterly countries have also shown their interest in exploring ways to facilitate issues that include talks on the Ethiopia’s giant dam.
In this regard, United Arab Emirates (UAE) seeks to facilitate the stalled talks over the filling and operation of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), Sudan Tribune reported citing the Sudan News Agency (SUNA) on Thursday.
The official agency said a delegation including senior officials from the UAE’s foreign ministry was in a one-day visit to Khartoum to in an effort to break the stalled discussions between Sudan, Egypt and Ethiopia over the giant dam.
“The Emirati delegation was briefed by officials from the foreign affairs and irrigation ministries about the Sudanese on the GERD,” said the agency quoting an anonymous official source.
“The Emirati initiative did not come at the request of Sudan,” stressed the official.
The UAE has strong economic cooperation with the Ethiopian government as part of its plans to enhance its investments and diplomatic presence in the Horn of Africa.
There have been reports in Khartoum about a UAE’s initiative to end the border dispute between Sudan and Ethiopia.
On Tuesday, the Foreign Ministry in Abu Dhabi released a statement expressing concern about the border tensions between Sudan and Ethiopia.
The statement further urged the two countries “to listen to the voice of wisdom, to dialogue together and to stop any actions that would increase tension”.
The Ethiopian Heraled 17 January
