US invites Ethiopia & Tigray Front to hold talks
The US urged recently the Ethiopian government and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) rebels to hold talks to end renewed fighting, saying a five-month truce had saved “countless lives”.
“We are concerned about reports of renewed hostilities in Ethiopia and call on the Government of Ethiopia and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front to redouble efforts to advance talks towards a permanent ceasefire without preconditions,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Vidant Patel said.
He also told reporters that the five-month truce “saved countless lives and enabled humanitarian aid to reach tens of thousands of people, and now, recent provocations and the lack of a permanent ceasefire threaten this progress.”
He noted that the US is ready to work with the Ethiopians on the diplomatic and humanitarian fronts to “finally bring a lasting end to the conflict.”
This came, after fighting resumed Wednesday in northern Ethiopia, on the border areas of the Tigray region, where the Tigray rebels and the government exchanged accusations of violating the truce announced five months ago.
On Wednesday, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for an “immediate” ceasefire in Ethiopia and expressed shock at the resumption of violence.
“I am deeply shocked and saddened by the news of the resumption of fighting in Ethiopia,” Guterres told reporters, adding, “I strongly appeal for an immediate cessation of hostilities and a return to peace talks between the government and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front.”
These battles are the first since the announcement of a humanitarian truce at the end of March, which allowed for the gradual resumption of humanitarian aid to the region, which is living in conditions close to famine.
Tensions escalated in recent days between the government and the Tigray rebels, despite the two sides’ repeated pledges during the past two months to enter into negotiations that have not yet begun.
The conflict in Tigray began in November 2020 when Prime Minister Abyei Ahmed sent the federal army into the region to oust local authorities who had challenged his authority for months and accused them of attacking military bases in the region.
