Sudan and Ethiopia have entered into a MoU that will see both countries withdraw their armies from both sides of the border they both share and instead replace it with a joint task force. The joint task force will address terrorism, human trafficking as well as general security tension experienced by both African nations.
Sudan and Ethiopian have maintained cordial relations with bilateral cooperation but the border area between them has remained a source of their security tensions that spur violence. The violence on both sides is mainly caused by the active human trafficking and smuggling route to Egypt and Libya. Also, Ethiopian farmers are accused by the Sudanese farmers of occupying vast agricultural land in the Al-Fashqa area of Gedaref State.
The joint taskforce will ensure that the border is clearly demarcated, security agencies are well informed, intelligence is shared between the two nations as they embark on routing out traffickers and contraband smugglers that put the entire region at risk.
Additionally, the taskforce will secure the region seeing as the route has been an access point for terrorists to access the Horn of Africa region as well as travel to Egypt, Libya, and the Middle East. the region has experienced spats of violence from terrorists that gain access to the region through the Sudan-Ethiopia border and as such the taskforce is a strategic counterterrorism measure that could improve the entire region’s security.
