The border dispute between Sudan and Ethiopia has posed a risk of wider conflict in the Horn of Africa region, a senior US diplomat has warned.
In a hearing before the House Foreign Affairs Committee on the conflict in the Tigray region of Ethiopia, Robert Godec, Robert Godec, Acting Assistant Secretary of State Bureau of African Affairs said “the Al-Fashaga border dispute poses a risk of conflict in the area”.
“It is a deep dispute, and it is a considerable concern for the U.S.,” Godec told the Congress members on Tuesday.
He further said his administration discussed the issue with Sudanese and Ethiopian officials and urged them to find a negotiated solution.
Last May, U.S. Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa Jeffrey Feltman was in Khartoum for talks over the border dispute and the crisis brought by the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam.
Speaking about the ongoing conflict in northern Ethiopia, the State Department was assessing the violations of human rights committed in the region.
He further pointed to the continued presence of Eritrean troops alongside the Ethiopian army in the Tigray region.
In a separate statement about the involvement of the Eritrean army in the conflict, he mentioned the deployment of Eritrean soldiers near the disputed area.
“Eritrean troops are present in Al-Fashaga area,” he added.
MG/as/APA