Sudanese Premier Welcomes South Sudan’s Offer to Mediate Dispute with Ethiopia

January 15, 2021 (KHARTOUM) - The Sudanese Prime Minister welcomed the initiative by South Sudanese President to mediate the border standoff with Ethiopia, reported the official news agency SUNA on Friday.

Abdallah Hamdok (Reuters photo)Abdallah Hamdok received South Sudanese Minister for East African Affairs, Deng Alor Kuol, who delivered a message from President Salva Kiir offering to mediate the ongoing dispute over the border area.

"The Prime Minister expressing his thanks and appreciation to the State of South Sudan, led by His Excellency Lieutenant General Salva Kiir Mayardit, for his efforts and good endeavours to ensure stability in the region,"

"Also, (Hamdok) welcomed the initiative, as it constitutes an affirmation of the principle of African solutions to African challenges".

Sudan and Ethiopia joint political committee failed last December to reach an agreement over the claimed area.

The Ethiopian delegation proposed to discuss the disputed areas but the Sudanese side said that there is a need to place the border markers because the two sides have already stuck a deal.

On Thursday, Sudanese Foreign Minister Gamar Eldin rejected Ethiopian calls for negotiations saying there is no border dispute to be negotiated because the claimed area is a Sudanese territory.

"When Ethiopia calls the border ’disputed’, this is a false description that finds no legal basis in the international law".

No to war

Mohamed al-Faki, a member of the Sovereign Council its spokesman on Friday said the Sudanese army had managed to regain about 90% of Al-Fashaqa, pointing that there are two localities still occupied by the Ethiopians.

"Sudan hopes that Ethiopia evacuates these two areas immediately, to avoid the intervention of the Sudanese army which can militarily retake it," al-Fakii said adding they still hope that this will be done through political and diplomatic means.

Pointing to the special relations between the two people, Faki rebuked calls for war saying the military situation of the Sudanese forces is good and Sudan has the legal rights over this land.

"To those who are beating the drums of war, we say we do not want it and prefer a political solution through dialogue," he stressed.

(ST)