Ethiopia, Sudan Border Communities Hold People-to-People Dialogue to Resolve Frequent Insecurities

3 January 2023
Addis Standard (Addis Ababa)

Addis Abeba — Ethiopians residing in Western Gonder, Quara district and the Sudanese residing in Ankurana and Kerchedi villages held people to people discussions on 01 January aimed at addressing root causes infrequent insecurities and tof guarantee security and cementing lasting peace in their borders.

According to information from the Amhara regional state Communications Bureau the dialogue was held among the neighboring communities with the presence of the security forces and community leaders from both sides. The participants have discussed on how to ensure lasting peace, preventing animal theft and tackling human trafficking, it stated.

Desalegn Moges, head of the Quara District ruling Prosperity Party, said that the people-to-people discussion has aimed at resolving security challenges among these neighboring communities, especially to halt human trafficking and animal theft.

Similar discussions held previously have helped exchange stolen animals on both sides, he said, adding that, by continuing such discussions, in addition to preventing animal theft and human trafficking, peaceful relations should be established between communities of neighboring districts.

Border disputes between Ethiopia and Sudan have become frequent occurrences in various entry points of the border especially since the start of the war in Tigray in November 2020; both countries have been accusing each other of carrying out attacks on civilian settlements, sometime closing various entry points of the border between them.

On 27 December 2020, Dessalegn Tasew, the administrator of West Gonder Zone, Amhara regional state, accused Sudanese forces of occupying large swaths land, looting and killing of civilians. The statement came five days after announcement by Ambassador Dina Mufti, the then Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on 22 December 2020, that Ethiopia and Sudan have agreed to solve the tension surrounding the long standing dispute over their territory peacefully.

But tensions along the border areas and subsequent accusations against each other seem to have subsided lately. On 18 December, the two countries have exchanged soldier prisoners who were arrested during the clashes that took place between the two countries around the Al-Fashaqa border strip, which is currently controlled by Sudanese forces and. AS

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