Bereft Sudanese farmers call for swift action on Ethiopian border

The farmers on Sudan’s eastern border in El Fashaga area in El Gedaref refute statements of state Governor Mirghani Saleh regarding the return of all agricultural land in the border strip from Ethiopian farmers.

They described the statement as incorrect and called on the Governor to be precise in his statements.

In a statement issued on Wednesday and signed by a number farmers, they confirmed that their agricultural lands have not been recovered and pointed to the damage caused by the delay in re-demarcation of the border.

A farmer from El Gedaref told Dabanga Radio that the Ethiopians are still controlling more than 500,000 acres in El Fashaga

He pointed to the Ethiopians’ construction of five residential villages in El Fashaga under the protection of Ethiopian forces.

He explained that the land being negotiated by the Governor of El Gedaref with the Ethiopian authorities is a small area at El Gedeima not exceeding 15,000 acres. He doubted the Ethiopian farmers’ extradition to the said lands.

The farmer called on the Sudanese government to resort to international arbitration and demarcation of the border between the two countries.

Mubarak El Nour, the independent MP of El Fashaga constituency in the National Assembly, denied the statements of the Governor of El Gedaref regarding the return of El Fashaga lands.

He explained that the Ethiopian incursion into the territory of El Fashaga is continuing.

He called on the government to speed-up the re-demarcation of the border with Ethiopia and compensation of the affected farmers.