borkena, Ethiopian News
February 14,2017
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Citing governor of the Sudanese state of Gadaref, Sudan Tribune reported that Mekele is hosting what is said to be the 18th “Sudanese-Ethiopian borders conference” this Thursday.
The conference will discuss issues relating to farming communities , to use the words of Sudan Tribune, “in joint borders.” Trade and smuggling issues are also on the table for the two days conference.
The report added that the conference will be attended by four border regional states on the part of Sudan (Gadaref,Blue Nile,Sennar and Kassala) and two regional states on the part of Ethiopia namely Amhara regional State and Benishangul-Gumuz regional state.
According to the report, governor of Gadaref State, Mirghani Salih Sid Ahmed, hinted that his state “would seek to retrieve the agricultural lands confiscated by Ethiopian farmers.” He added that “delegation would raise the issue of preventing Ethiopian farmers from growing Sudanese lands according to the 2004 agreement between the two countries.”
Also, the report indicated that “Farmers from two sides of the border between Sudan and Ethiopia used to dispute the ownership of land in the Al-Fashaga area located in the south-eastern part of Sudan’s eastern state of Gedaref.”
Ethiopians have been accusing the TPLF led government for handing over a long stretch of Ethiopian land to Sudan illegally.
The land dispute caused skirmishes that claimed lives on both sides in the recent past.
During the recent anti-government protest in Ethiopia, protesters in Gonder raised the issue of land given to Sudan in addition to Wolqaite issue. However, the Ethiopian regime denied in the past that there was no land given to Sudan and that whatever is taken belongs to Sudan. It is not clear as to why Mekele is selected to host the conference.
Regime in Ethiopia and Sudan have signed joint military agreement along the border.
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