Link To Article: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/12/31/sudan-regains-full-control-of-border-with-ethiopia-ministry
Analysis: The ministry of Sudan states that the Sudanese army recovered the border that had been taken over by Ethiopian farmers.
“The armed forces have now fully recovered all Sudanese territory” Minister Omar Qamareddine told a Khartoum news conference. “The boarders have already been demarcated, all that’s remaining in our talks… is increasing the border signs”.
Tensions between Sudan and Ethiopia have recently flared over the al Fashqa region of the border because Ethiopian farmers have been cultivating fertile land which was claimed by Sudan.
Conflict in this region isn’t new, with sporadic clashes occurring over the years. Fighting recently erupted in November when the federal government sent troops into the neighboring Tigray region of Ethiopia against the regional authorities.
Earlier this month Ethiopian troops were accused of sending “forces and militias” to ambush Sudanese troops along the border, leaving some dead and more than 20 wounded.
Ethiopia’s foreign ministry spokesperson, Dina Mufti, blamed “outside forces” for the tensions with Sudan.
Further disagreements over the al Fashqa region border may mean future conflicts between both Sudan and Ethiopia. Conflicts almost seem inevitable with blood having already been shed and lives already lost. Sudan has already resorted to military action to protect its sovereignty as Ethiopia further encroaches on its border. The cause of this conflict, the use of fertile farm lands, is also worth noting especially with the importance farming has in Ethiopia as a whole. In Ethiopia, people live in an agrarian society with a subsistent way of living. Current conflicts have driven Ethiopian refugees across the border to escape fighting. These refugees are now seeking safe and fertile land, which they’ve found in Sudan.
When looking at the geopolitical considerations for this disputed territory you can see that it brings into question three key elements of power. The first is the expanse or loss of sovereign territory. If Ethiopia did succeed in claiming the al Fashqa region then it would gain sovereign territory. Conversely, if Sudan was to lose the al Fashqa region it would lose sovereign territory. Another element of power at play here is that the disputed land is fertile and good for farming. The final element of power at play here is that the disputed land will help protect Sudan’s border and population centers. Sudan’s border land provides a physical gap between its population center and it neighbors. When this gap decreases so does the protection that goes along with it.