Sudan must withdraw its troops from Ethiopian territory ahead of any talks over disputed lands along their borders, Ethiopia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has said.
Dina Mufti, spokesperson of the Ministry told journalists on Tuesday that “the leaders of Sudan are beating war drums as the Sudanese army continues to loot and displace Ethiopian farmers.”
According to the Spokesperson, Ethiopia still believes that the issue can be solved amicably through negotiation.
However, he said “before the commencement of any negotiation, Ethiopia is demanding Sudan to evacuate its troops from the areas as of November 6, 2020 by uprooting Ethiopian farmers.
Tensions between Ethiopia and Sudan reportedly continued to escalate on Tuesday after Sudanese army reportedly advanced to the west of Ethiopia’s Gondar region near the border.
The border between Ethiopia and Sudan has been disputed for more than a century, with a number of failed attempts to reach an agreement on exactly where the border should be demarcated.
Treaties were drawn up in 1902 and 1907 between Ethiopia and Britain to define the border between Sudan and Ethiopia.
The border tensions come at a time when Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt are also trying to resolve a three-way row over Ethiopia’s Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam.
