Sudan, Ethiopia agree to accelerate efforts to settle border dispute

March 5, 2023 (DOHA)- Sudan and Ethiopia agreed on Sunday to accelerate efforts to end the border dispute and reactivate trade between the two countries.

Abel Fattah al-Burhan, head of the Sovereign Council on Sunday met a number of regional leaders in the marines of the Fifth United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries (LDC5) held in Doha.

In a meeting the Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, the two leaders discussed bilateral relations and ways to settle the pending issues, particularly the border demarcation.

“The two sides agreed on the importance of continuing efforts and accelerating its pace regarding the issues of border and economic cooperation, and activating trade exchange to achieve the common interests of the peoples of the two countries,” said the Sovereign Council in a statement after the meeting.

The Ethiopian news agency just mentioned the meeting but no details were released about what al-Burhan and Ahmed discussed.

On January 28, Abiy was in Khartoum to hold talks with al-Burhan and Sudanese political leaders. At the end of the visit, the sides agreed to resume the bilateral discussions on the level of the ministerial joint commission.

The dispute over the Al-Fashaga border stripe remains the main issue between the two countries as the government of the current Prime Minister Ahmed denounced the previous agreements and called for new talks.

Sudan vehemently rejected the request and calls to resume talks on the basis of the signed agreement.

Al-Burhan also met with the Chadian President Mahamat Idriss Deby.

“The meeting stressed the importance of enhancing joint cooperation in various fields, as well as strengthening coordination between Khartoum and N’Djamena on regional and international issues of common interest”.

Recently, al-Burhan and Deby agreed to revitalize the joint border patrols after reports of the presence of Chadian rebels in northern parts of the Central African Republic.

(ST)