Spokesperson Emphasizes Need for Diplomatic Engagement to Settle Ethio-Sudan Border Issue

Addis Ababa December 29/2020 (ENA) The border issues of Ethiopia and Sudan orchestrated by external forces will be settled with continued diplomatic engagement between the two nations, Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Dina Mufti said.

Briefing the media today, he said there are forces that have invaded Ethiopian land, acting against the interests of the countries and the long-standing Ethio-Sudanese relations.

The spokesperson said forces that have vested interest in the animosity between Ethiopia and Sudan as well as neighboring countries are operating from behind.

“These forces are interested in destabilizing the region. They are interested not only in hurting the interest of Ethiopia, but also hurting the interest of the region,” he underlined.

The spokesperson further added that discussions with Sudan will continue, diplomatic engagements will continue. “Hopefully, we will settle the dispute and normalcy will be ensured.”

Starting from November 9, 2020, Ethiopia has been observing organized attacks by Sudanese military forces using heavy machine guns and armored convoy, it was learned.

Agricultural products of Ethiopian farmers are looted, their camps vandalized, and they are also hampered from harvesting their own farms. A number of civilians have been murdered and wounded.

Ethiopia has been reaffirming that reactivating the existing mechanisms and finding an amicable solution on settlement and cultivation are the only ways to bring lasting solution to the issues in the common border.

Militarization and unnecessary escalation will only worsen the situation and create pointless tension in the border area and disrupt daily activities of peoples living in the border area, it was  noted.