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Explained: What’s behind the Ethiopia-Sudan border row?

Amid heightened tension along its border with Ethiopia, Sudan swore in a new defense minister. Major General Yassin Ibrahim Yassin was recalled from retirement to fill the position following the death of General Gamal al-Din Omar. Yassin’s swearing-in came after an alleged Ethiopian cross-border attack which left at least one Sudanese soldier and a child dead, according to Sudan’s military. Three Sudanese civilians and a soldier were also wounded.

The attack, which took place in the eastern province of al-Qadarif, started after an Ethiopian militia group penetrated Sudan’s border to fetch water at the Atbara river, Brigadier Amer Mohammed al-Hassan, a spokesman for the Sudanese military, said.

“It is not clear exactly what triggered a flare-up of this long-standing border dispute. Sources suggest that Sudanese security forces may have responded to incursions by Ethiopian farmers, which in turn brought in Ethiopian security forces,” William Davison, senior Ethiopia analyst at the International Crisis Group, told DW.

The border clashes flared up as Ethiopia and Sudan were preparing to meet in the Sudanese capital Khartoum, for a second round of talks aimed at resolving the border dispute. “There have been negotiations and they reached an understanding that most or all of this contested land can be under Sudan,” Tronvoll said. “The interesting aspect is why there is new violence now and possibly also at a higher level than before.”

According to Sudan’s military, tensions along the border between the two countries have recently heated up amid increasing attacks on Sudanese troops. Following the incident, Sudan summoned Ethiopia’s envoy and urged the Ethiopian government to do all it can to end such border clashes.