BY SAMUEL TEFERA
Sudanese are marching into streets across the country protesting against the rise in the prices of fuel, bread and the brutal handling of citizens under police custody.
A couple of years back, public anger ousted Omar Hassan Al Bashir’s government. The unmet demands for democratic and just systems are now back again fiercely challenging the transitional government.
The fragile Darfur peace efforts are regressing with more than hundred thousands displaced, many killed, women and girls raped and the rest of the people witnessing massive humanitarian crises in a divided government.
The Sudanese government, however, instead of responding to the basic popular demands to food, water and petroleum, has resorted to aggression through occupying the Ethiopian territories.
This, of course, seems an attempt to divert and conceal an internal agenda that has already been out publicly for the international community to observe.
Unluckily, Sudanese people’s ambitions for an inclusive and democratic political culture can best be explained as a leap from the frying pan to the fire. The elements in the transitional government turned against the will of the people and the civilian government that have been taking the Sudanese peace as the apple of their eye.
Sadly, the elements failed to recognize Ethiopia’s favour in bringing all conflicting Sudanese parties together, and supporting the forces to settle the matter on a round table as well.
Sudan failed Ethiopia’s immense role in brokering a peace deal and facilitating a dialogue that answered questions of millions of pro-democracy Sudanese youth and women protestors through establishing the transitional government that brought Abdalla Hamdok to the premiership.
Abdel Fattah al-Burhan’s military faction in the transitional government opts for subtly working with anti-Ethiopia forces. This of course includes extending hands to fulfil Egypt’s agenda of destabilizing Ethiopia and the region.
Since november 2020, Sudanese forces crossed Ethiopian borders, looted properties, burnt down camps and killed and displaced Ethiopians. This came in few days after the government of Ethiopia was forced to enforce law in Tigray.
The Sudanese forces act of aggression is no different from the assault the TPLF forces made on the Ethiopian National Defence Forces given the level of renewed relationships between the people and heads of governments of both countries.
History tells that the Sudanese forces act of territorial aggression has always targeted vulnerable periods of insecurity and transition in Ethiopia.
Any of the attempts of the forces in history has not, however, materialized to meaningfully meet their intended purposes.
The Sudanese forces, by occupying the Ethiopian territory, have violated the Exchange of Notes agreement that was signed between Sudan and Ethiopia in 1972.
The Notes call for maintaining the status quo until studies to demarcate the actual border are finalized and agreement is reached between Sudan and Ethiopia.
Instead of building on the progress of the Joint Boundary Commission and the findings of the Joint Technical Boundary Committee, Sudan decided the option of might and guns over peaceful engagement.
Neither massive militarization of border areas nor series of incursions bring lasting solution to resolve our problems.
Further deterioration of relations between Sudan and Ethiopia will only escalate the existing tensions the two countries have over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam and the border conflicts leading to regional instability in the Horn of Africa.
Restoring relations shall better follow the path of a peaceful dialogue and diplomatic means, so do the resumption of the joint border demarcation talks.
Ethiopia has started a journey of democracy and state building that is founded on the fundamental principles of exchanges of notes and words, not exchange of gun fires.
It still restrains itself from such an act leaving out the option of retaliation but monitoring Sudan’s activities with high degree of calmness and patience.
But, if the military confrontation continues, the fire option may come as the last and unfavoured resort to bringing a closure to the matter. I believe that Sudan by withdrawing its forces will give peace a chance to preside over hostility.
Ed.’s note: Samuel Tefera Alemu (Ph.D) is an Assistant Professor at the Center for African and Asian Studies, College of Social Sciences, Addis Ababa University. He is reachable through: samuel.tefera@aau.edu.et
The Ethiopian Herald February 2/2021
