BY GIRMACHEW GASHAW
A renowned scholar once said countries may choose nations they wish to make good foreign relations with but they cannot choose their neighbors. And, Ethiopia has been living up to this righteous principle both in paper and in practice.
For long, harmony and peaceful coexistence have been the core ingredients in Ethiopia’s foreign policy particularly when it comes to dealing with neighboring countries. The country has been playing an anchor role in ensuring peace and stability in the region.
The country has the culture of respecting neighbors through the thick and thin. Even sometimes, its neighbors see Ethiopia as a helping hand at times of calamity and a guardian at time fragility.
This firm belief has stood the test of time and was proven at a time of crisis in Somalia, Sudan and other countries when the country deployed peacekeeping forces and helped restore peace in the war-torn areas of the countries.
Besides, the good relations the country enjoy with neighboring countries have to do with the strong people to people ties sharing the same culture, ethnic groups and other values. This has only intensified under the current leadership that is according priority to forging strong ties with neighboring countries.
Ethiopia has built a great partnership with neighboring countries in this regard. Sudan is one of them. Ethiopia and Sudan have solid relations in all fronts. From the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam to other big projects, Sudan has also been working with Ethiopia to create mutual understanding. The two countries’ relations have remained strong and the same even at a time of internal crisis or political crisis. Ethiopia in the last two years has helped mediate Sudanese groups in power sharing following the demise of Al- Bashir.
Ethiopia has extended unreserved support in the Sudanese transition by setting middle ground among conflicting parties. This was not only meant to support Sudan but it was must-do task because unrest in Sudan means unrest in the region consequently affecting Ethiopia. However despite, the warm relations, thing have gone awry over the last few weeks as Sudanese forces started to take territories inside Ethiopian border displacing many and killing local farmers.
The Sudanese army advanced to the west of Ethiopia’s Gondar area, while residents and government officials claimed some members of the military looted cattle and burned farmlands belonging to Ethiopian farmers. In fact, the issue of border has been among the contentious one that has been putting the longstanding strong relations of both countries at difficult situation. What is different about the current situation is its intensity and Sudan’s aggression.
Decades of friction and negotiations over border issue seemingly ended in 2008 when a ‘soft border’ compromise was reached between the countries. However, this agreement began to unravel after Ethiopia’s Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) was removed from power in 2018.
However, attempts to resolve the issue at a regional summit in December 2020 were unsuccessful. Shortly afterwards, clashes between the Sudanese army and Ethiopian militia forces took place on farmlands in the border area. And Sudan is becoming more aggressive and following very hostile approach by sending military reinforcement to the disputed area while Ethiopia is calling for calm and peaceful resolution.
Ethiopia’s ambassador in Khartoum, Yibeltal Aemero, recently said that the Sudanese military of taking advantage of the Tigray crisis to take control of the disputed land.
When the Ethiopian National Defense forces moved to Tigray region on November 4, 2020 for the law enforcement majors, the Sudanese army took the advantage and entered deep inside Ethiopian territory, looted properties, burned camps, detained, attacked and killed the Ethiopians while displacing thousands,” said Aemero.
Dr. Lotfi Tiben, an expert in public diplomacy told The Ethiopian Herald that Ethiopia and Sudan should resolve border disputes through peaceful means by taking the longstanding socioeconomic and political ties between them into consideration. The current border issue is a trivial one when compared to the longstanding , strong and historical ties between the two neighboring countries
Indicating that the current state of affairs is the worst one, he said, it requires strengthening diplomatic relations in order to smoothen tension between the two countries turn the tide and restore normalcy.
In order not to aggravate the border dispute, the two sisterly countries have to explore ways of resolving the tension within the shortest time possible. For this to happen, the engagement of professionals is badly required, he added.
“The public diplomatic relations between the two countries is not active as it had been before for the reason I do not know. They have to prepare a strategic plan and device to find a lasting solution to the problems.”
Asked if a third party is involved in the border skirmishes he replied, “It is not clear for me” or “it is something put under the table.”
Noting that there is a border committee working to solve the border dispute between the two friendly countries, he said as a member of one family, border is not an issue that leads to conflict and violence, it would rather help them further strengthens bilateral ties.
“The two countries should create a platform to deliberate on the border issue and come up with a workable plan and commit themselves for its realization,” he added.
Pointing that Sudan has high expectation to get a good return from the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), he said even beyond GERD, the two countries have been engrossed in various projects that fortify their mutual benefits.
“However, the border issue has no connection with that of GERD. As is a recurring problem, the border issue can be resolved through intensive dialogue. Concerning the issue of the dam, the relation between the two countries is strong and it will continue prevailing,” he added.
The dispute between the two countries should only be solved through diplomacy and public diplomacy is the main tool in helping settle the tension. Hostility cannot overcome the situation. Calmness and readiness for open talks do, the diplomat said.
“The two countries border committee can sit down and come up with diplomatic initiatives which help solve the current problem. For this to happen, we have to push for strengthening the diplomatic endeavors ahead. As far as I am concerned, due to the longstanding mutual interest between the two countries, they will resolve the border issue soon, nobody will divide us,” he opined.
The Ethiopian Herald 22 January 2021
