Sudan urges Ethiopia to sign employment deal

February 2, 2012 (KHARTOUM) – The Sudanese government has called on its Ethiopian counterpart to sign an agreement regularizing employment between the two neighboring countries.

Sudan, which shares a 723 km borders with Ethiopia, says it has been grappling with increases in the number of Ethiopians who arrive illegally in search of job opportunities, citing concerns of concomitant social problems.

The call for regularizing employment was made by Sudan’s Foreign Minister Ali Karti when he received on Thursday Ethiopia’s new ambassador in Sudan.

Karti said while receiving credentials of the new ambassador that the competent authorities in Sudan and Ethiopia need to consolidate coordination in order to contain illegal movement across the border.

Sudan’s foreign ministry announced in September last year that it had signed an agreement with its Ethiopian counterpart to tighten border control in order to fight human trafficking and curb illegal employment on both sides of the border.

The ministry’s official spokesman revealed that some ad hoc police units were formed to counter the smuggling of Ethiopian employment-seekers through Sudan’s borders.

The spokesman added that illegal employment constitutes a source of trouble for both sides.

(ST)