Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and Sudan’s navy chief, Basic Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, met in Nairobi, Kenya on Tuesday to settle a border dispute that has led to violent clashes in latest weeks.
“We each made a dedication for dialogue (and) peaceable decision to excellent points,” Abiy tweeted after the assembly on the sidelines of a summit for the Intergovernmental Authority on Improvement (IGAD), an eight-member regional bloc for the horn of Africa and neighboring states.
Burhan, who took energy after a navy coup final yr, mentioned the IGAD assembly gave them a chance “to take inventory of the response” to challenges within the area, however he didn’t elaborate.
“We’re completely happy to convene in a really quick time to debate issues of nice significance,” he mentioned. Sudan’s ruling sovereign council mentioned solely that there had been a “closed-door assembly” between Burhan and Abiy.
Buying and selling accusations
The longtime dispute between the 2 international locations over the fertile border area of al-Fashqa.The area, which lies near Ethiopia’s war-torn Tigray, has lengthy been cultivated by Ethiopian farmers however is claimed by Sudan, fueling a surge in tensions that has generally turned violent.
Most not too long ago, Sudan mentioned that seven of its troopers and a civilian had been killed on June 22 after Ethiopian forces took them captive on the Sudanese aspect of the border after which introduced them again into Ethiopia. Ahmed’s authorities has denied responsibilty, blaming the killings on an area militia.
The 2 nations traded accusations once more the following day, with an Ethiopian official saying Sudan’s armed forces had fired heavy artillery within the disputed space.
es/rt (AFP, Reuters)