ADDIS ABABA, Feb. 26 (Xinhua) -- Security officials from Ethiopia and Kenya have reaffirmed their commitment to resolving recurrent inter-communal conflicts and establishing lasting peace along the border region.

This pledge came as senior security and government officials from Ethiopia's Southern Region and Kenya's Turkana County met on Tuesday to discuss the security situation in border areas, according to a statement issued Wednesday by Ethiopia's Dasenech District government communication office.

The discussion followed recent deadly clashes in the Todonyang border area, which claimed at least 33 lives from both sides, according to official data.

Officials from both countries acknowledged the impact of recurring inter-communal conflicts linked to the use of natural resources among communities living along the border.

Highlighting the two neighboring countries' "strong strategic partnership," they emphasized the need for both sides to cooperate in addressing security challenges and fostering lasting peace in the border areas by promoting strong economic ties among neighboring communities, according to the statement.

They also underscored the crucial need to strengthen people-to-people relations as a sustainable solution to recurring inter-communal conflicts, thereby ensuring lasting peace in the region, the statement noted.

Todonyang, a fertile fishing ground along the Ethiopia-Kenya border, has long been a flashpoint for clashes between Kenyan and Ethiopian fishermen.

While Ethiopia's Dasenech community and Kenya's Turkana community have traditionally shared socio-economic ties, tensions over fishing rights and other economic activities have periodically led to violence. Enditem

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