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Ethiopian militiamen opened fire on Sudanese farmers as they harvested corn grown by members of Ethiopia’s Amhara ethnic group in a border enclave inside Sudan, two local residents told
The National.
The incident, on Tuesday, was the latest violent episode in a long-simmering border dispute between Sudan and Ethiopia that was rekindled late last year when the Sudanese military moved to wrest back control of farmlands inside Sudan that had for decades been held by Amhara farmers backed by militias.
The two residents had no word on casualties from among the Sudanese farmers who fled the area when the militiamen opened fire, leaving behind dozens of bags full of corn they reaped.
At the core of the border tension between Sudan and Ethiopia is a move by Sudanese troops in December to wrest back control of border enclaves inside Sudan.
The disputed areas had long been settled by farmers from Ethiopia’s powerful Amhara group who are attracted by the fertility of the soil in the area.
The farmers enjoyed the protection of federal forces and allied militias.
Sudan has since vowed to retake other border enclaves held by the Amhara, while Ethiopia said it will not negotiate with Sudan unless it pulls out from the enclaves it retook.
Khartoum has rejected that condition and vowed to regain control of other areas still held by the Amhara militias and farmers.