Sudan, Ethiopia agree to dialogue over disputed issues

January 23, 2022 (KHARTOUM) – Sudan and Ethiopia agreed to hold talks over disputed issues that triggered tensions between the last year the two countries said on Sunday, at the end of a visit by the Sudanese deputy head of the Sovereign Council to Addis Ababa.

Following his arrival on Saturday to the Ethiopian capital, Mohamed Hamdan Daglo met with Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed to discuss contentious issues.

After his return to Khartoum, Ambassador Mohamed al-Ghazali al-Tijani, Director of the African Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, told reporters that the meeting discussed various issues of common interest.

“The two sides expressed the need to hold transparent and constructive dialogue to develop bilateral relations to serve the interests and aspirations of the peoples of the two countries,” Tijani added.

In Addis Ababa, Defence Minister Abraham Belay told the official news agency, ENA, that the two sides agreed that they should work closely on bilateral issues.

“We have agreed on the need to closely work on bilateral issues together,” Belay said.

The expulsion of Ethiopian farmers and their armed militias from the Fashaga border area triggered tensions between the two countries.

In response, Addis Ababa claimed that the disputed area is an Ethiopian territory while Khartoum kept pointing to the treaties signed by the two countries over border demarcation.

Also, the hydropower dam on the border area was another source of tensions together with the accusations of harbouring TPLF rebels.

No date was announced for meetings between the bilateral issues. Also, the border dispute and the war in Tigray led to suspending the already difficult tripartite GERD process involving Egypt.

(ST)