Sudan and Ethiopia Resolve to Find Peaceful Resolution to Border Crisis

The border dispute between the two African nations reignited earlier this year with multiple confrontations. Ethiopia is suffering from a violent internal conflict between the federal government and the rebelling state of Tigray.

Chairman of the Sudanese Transitional Sovereignty Council Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed stated that the two countries will resolve their border issues in a peaceful way after a meeting on Saturday.

"Both sides stressed the need to resolve all border issues peacefully through specialized technical committees,” said a statement issued by al-Burhan's office following the talks.

Sudanese soldiers from the Rapid Support Forces unit which led by Gen. Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, the deputy head of the military council, secure the area where Dagalo attends a military-backed tribe's rally, in the East Nile province, Sudan, Saturday, June 22, 2019.

© AP Photo / Hussein Malla

The Sudanese leader likewise stated that Khartoum and Addis Ababa hope to find common ground on technical issues regarding the ongoing construction of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), which has been a stumbling block in Sudan-Ethiopia relations for years.

Ethiopia has been constructing the compound, which is supposed to be the Africa’s largest dam once completed and provide large amounts of electricity for the region. However, Sudan and Egypt are concerned about the plans, describing the dam as a threat and alleging that it will lead to water shortages.

At the same time, Sudan boosted its military on the Ethiopian border amid various incidents stemming from the conflict between Abiy’s government and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF).