A senior government official has denied any existing armed relations between South Sudan and Ethiopia days after tension between Addis Ababa and Khartoum played out.
Presidential Security Advisor Tut Gatluak told the media on Monday, February 1, that South Sudan was instead committed to mediate the talks between the two neighbours to calm the diplomatic tensions.
“We do not have any armed partnership with Ethiopia. What we want as a neighboring country is the tension between the two should not result into war,” he said.
The Sudan –Ethiopia border issue erupted late 2020 over a place known as al-Fashaga with both sides claiming ownership of the area, where the north-west of Ethiopia’s Amhara region meets Sudan’s breadbasket Gadaref State
In 2020, Ethiopia warned Sudan that it had run out of patience over the matter which could likely morph into armed violence between the two countries.
Ethiopia has a long running history of border conflicts with its neighbours. In 1977, Ethiopia fought a war with Somalia over disputed region of the Ogaden.
Similarly, in 1998, it went to war with Eritrea over a small piece of contested land called Badme, which resulted into death of over 80, 000 its soldiers.
With al-Fashaga issue, Tut said President Kiir wants peaceful conflict resolution between his neighbours instead of armed confrontation.
“President Salva Kiir has initiated talks the tension between Ethiopia and Sudan because we the neighbour do not want to hear of war between the two countries,” Tut said.
Despite home conflict that has killed thousands and displaced millions, President Kiir in 2018 offered to mediate Sudan’s conflict which finally culminated into Juba Price Agreement.