Setit-Humera: A Blister on Ethio–Sudanese Boundary Disputation

ABSTRACT

Boundary disputations have contributed to the absence of an all-rounded rapprochement between Ethiopia and Sudan for a long time. Intermittent attempts to seek a comprehensive solution to the problem have often ended in failure. The tension has particularly remained intense along the fertile agricultural district of Setit-Humera, immediately south of the intersection of the Ethio–Eritrean–Sudanese boundaries. Regional geopolitical considerations have substantially dictated proceedings to demarcate/re-demarcate the frontier, which has been going on since the 1960s. Shrouded in secrecy, at least for Ethiopians, the two parties brokered a deal to settle the matter along this highly contested region in 2008. This paper assesses the process, outcome and implications of the deal, highlighting major developments in the past 50 years of negotiation. Archival materials from the Ethiopian Ministry of Foreign Affairs have shed a new light on the whole affair, which still remains sensitive and is considered top secret.

Notes

1. Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) Folder -Sudan 38-D2. Record of the Meeting Held Between Ethiopian and Sudanese Officials in Khartoum: 24–26 June 1966; Joint Communiqué Issued at the End of the Khartoum Meeting: 27 June 1966. MoFA Sudan 28-D2 1. Memorandum on Status Quo Situation of Ethio-Sudan Border: 27 June 1966.

2. MoFA Sudan 27-D2 teraz (volume) 5. Analysis Report on Sudan Political division and Its Implication on Ethiopia: 3 April 1970.

3. MoFA Sudan 38-D2. Record of the Meeting Held Between Ethiopian and Sudanese Officials in Khartoum: 24–26 June 1966; Joint Communiqué Issued at the End of the Khartoum Meeting: 27 June 1966. MoFA Sudan 28-D2 1. Memorandum on Status Quo Situation of Ethio-Sudan Border: 27 June 1966.

4. Ibid.

5. MoFA Sudan 1 A. Joint Ethio-Sudanese Declaration Forming Frontier Committees: 27 July 1966.

6. MoFA Sudan 38-D2. Record of the Meeting Held between Ethiopian and Sudanese Officials in Khartoum: 24–26 June 1966; Joint Communiqué Issued on 1 December 1966.

7. Ibid.

8. Declaration between Great Britain and Italy Respecting the Sudan-Eritrean Frontier, signed in Rome on 22 November 1901

9. MoFA ye etiyo-sudan wesen guday 1 teraz 4. Minutes of the Ethio-Sudan Boundary commission Meeting: 18–30 November 1966. MoFA Sudan 41-D2. Summary Record of the First Meeting of Ethio-Sudan Boundary Commission: 29 December 1966.

10. MoFA Sudan 28-D2 1. Yelma Tadese to MoFA. Memo on Dr. Tesfaye Gebregzi’s Talks with El Azhari and Sadiq al-Mahdi: 27 December 1966.

11. MoFA Sudan 38-D2. Record of the Meeting Held between Ethiopian and Sudanese Officials in Khartoum. Joint Communiqué of the Ethio-Sudan Consultative Committee: 3 January 1967.

12. MoFA Sudan 1 A. Joint Report of the Second Boundary Commission Meeting: 3 January 1967.

13. Ibid, Ethio-Sudan Joint Communiqué: 26 February 1967.

14. MoFA Sudan 45-D2 56. Investigation Report on Ethio-Sudan Boundary: July 1965. MoFA ye Ethio-Sudan ye wesen sememenetoch 1, Sudan 45-D2. Hamilton (n.d.).

15. MoFA Sudan 23-D2 ye etiyo-sudan ye wesen sememenetoch 2. Asefa Azezew (Member of the Chamber of Senate) to Ketema: 27 January 1967.

16. MoFA ye etiyo-sudan ye wesen guday 2 Eth.1. MoFA to Sudan Embassy in Addis Ababa. Complaint on Sudan Troops Entry into Humera District: 4 April 1967.

17. Ibid, Report on Meeting in Kassala: 24 April 1967; Dej. Kefle Ergetu (Minister of Interior) to Ketema. On Humera Land Dispute and the Asmara Meeting of the Joint Frontier Administrators: 26 April 1967.

18. MoFA Sudan 36-D2. Ethiopia’s Memorandum to Sudan: 19 April 1967.

19. MoFA Sudan 34-D2. Prime Minister Aklilu to Sayid Sadiq El Mahdi: 19 April 1967.

20. MoFA ye etiyo-sudan ye wesen guday 2 Eth.1. Dej. Kefle Ergetu to Ketema: 18 May 1967; Ketema to Dej. Kefle: 18 May 1967.

21. Ibid, Maj. Gen. Derese Dubale (State Minister, Ministry of Interior, Public Security Department) to Maj. Gen. Yelma Shibeshi (Commander of the Police Force): 17 May 1967; Dej. Kefle Ergetu to Lt. Col. Tamerat Yigezu (Viceroy, Begemeder and Semen Region): 18 May 1967.

22. Ibid, Dej. Kefle Ergetu to Ketema: 19 May 1967; Dej. Kefle Ergetu to Fitawrari Abebe Bitew (Ambassador, Khartoum): 23 May 1967; Lt. Col. Tamerat Yigezu (Viceroy, Begemeder and Semen Region) to Dej. Kefle Ergetu: 24 May 1967; Fit. Abebe Bitew (Ambassador) to Ketema: 27 May 1967; Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Sudan to Ethiopian Embassy (Khartoum): 27 May 1967; Fitawrari Abebe Bitew to Ketema: 27 & 30 May 1967; Dej. Kefle Ergetu to Ketema: 30 May 1967; MoFA to Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Sudan: 5 June 1967; MoFA to Sudan Embassy: 14 June 1967; MoFA to Sudan MoFA. Letter of Protest: 15 June 1967); Emperor Hayle-Selassie to President Al-Hazari on the Situation on the Border: 14 June 1967.

23. MoFA Sudan 23-D2 36. Emperor Hayle-Selassie to President Ismail El Azhari: 14 June 1967.

24. MoFA Sudan 28-D2 129. Fitawrari Abebe Bitew to Ketema: 12 July 1967.

25. MoFA ye etiyo-sudan ye wesen guday 2 Eth.1. Report on Sudan Military Incursions along the Wellega province: 13 July 1967; Maj. Gen. Derese Dubale (State Minister, Ministry of Interior, Public Security Department) to Ketema: 19 July 1967; MoFA to Sudan Embassy. Protest on Sudan’s Incursions in Gambella: 20 July 1967; Maj. Gen. Derese to Ketema: 25 July 1967; MoFA to Sudan Embassy: 25 July 1967.

26. Ibid, Joint Communiqué of Khartoum Talks: 30 July 1967.

27. MoFA Sudan 42-D2. Minutes of the Meeting of the Joint Boundary Commission: 18–30 November 1967. See also Marcus (1963).

28. MoFA Sudan 31-D2 8. Agenda and proceedings of the Joint Consultative Committee Meeting: 18 July 1972. In addition to problems related to the boundary issue and subversive elements, Ethiopia had now to deal with a compensation row regarding the nationalization in 1967 of the Khartoum branch of the Commercial Bank of Ethiopia.

29. Ibid.

30. MoFA Sudan 23-D2 26. MoFA Department of Boundary and International Waters, August 1969. The document was particularly prepared by Getachew Tekle-Maryam.

31. MoFA ye etiyo-sudan ye wesen sememenetoch 1 38. Dr. Mansur Khalid (Minister of Foreign Affairs) to Dr. Menase Hayle (Minister of Foreign Affairs): 13 September 1972.

32. Ibid, Joint Report of the Boundary Commission Meeting in Addis Ababa: 10 July 1973.

33. MoFA ye etiyo-sudan ye wesen sememenetoch 1 38. Joint Report of the Boundary Commission Meeting in Addis Ababa: 10 July 1973. The map was prepared by the Ethiopian Ministry of Interior, January 1975.

34. MoFA etiyo-sudan wesen 3 teraz 1. Report of expert boundary committee for the joint ministerial meeting, 22 January 1975.

35. MoFA ye etiyo-sudan ye wesen guday 3 Eth.8. Joint Report of the Ethio-Sudan Boundary Commission, Khartoum, 30 March 1974.

36. Ibid. The government of Finland agreed to provide the required assistance in September 1974.

37. Ibid, Endalkachew Mekonnen (Prime Minister) to Dej. Zewde Gebre-Selassie (Minister of Interior), Tekalegne Gedamu (Minister of Planning and Development), Negash Desta (Minister of Finance) and Yodit Emeru (State Minister, MoFA). Organizing the Committee of Experts: 9 May 1974; Wehib Muluneh (Secretary of the Technical Committee) to Endalkachew Mekonnen. Report on the Demarcation Process: 14 May 1974.

38. Ibid, Sudan Embassy to MoFA: 26 August 1974.

39. Ibid, Maj. Gen. Nega Tegegne (Governor of Begemeder and Semen provinces) to Col. Belachew Jemaneh (minister of Interior): 6 October 1974; Taye Reta (Assistant Minister of Frontier Administration, Ministry of Interior) to MoFA. On Sudan’s Military Encroachment into Galabat (Metema): 15 October 1974; Taye Reta to Police Force Command Center. On Sudan’s Troop Mobilization into Metema: 19 October 1974; Maj. Gen. Nega Tegegne to Col. Belachew Jemaneh: 19 October 1974.

40. Ibid, Col. Belachew Jemaneh to Lt. Gen. Aman Mika’el Andom (Chairman of the Derg): 26 October 1974.

41. Ibid, Lt. Gen. Aman Mika’el Andom to Ministries of Defense, Interior and Foreign Affairs. Assigning Delegates to Kassala Meeting: 31 October 1974. MoFA ye etiyo-sudan ye denber sememenetoch 5 17. Report on Kassala Frontier Administrators and Experts Meeting: 22 November 1974. MoFA etiyo-sudan wesen 3 teraz 1. Report on Kassala Meeting: 23 November 1974; MoFA to Ethiopia’s Embassy in Khartoum. On Joint Ministerial and Technical Committee Meetings: 24 November 1974. MoFA etiyo-sudan ye wesen guday 1 teraz 4. Joint Report of Ethio-Sudan Boundary Commission: 27 November 1974.

42. MoFA etiyo-sudan wesen 3 teraz 1. Col. Belachew Jemaneh (Minister of Interior) to Br. Gen. Teferi Bante (Chairman of the Derg): 22 January 1975; Minutes of the Ethiopian Expert Committee Meeting on the Boundary Demarcation with Sudan: no date. MoFA etiyo-sudan ye ministroch sebseba 1 teraz 3. 13 February 1975. MoFA etiyo-sudan wesen 3 teraz 1. Postponement of the Joint Ministerial Meeting: 6 May 1975.