UN chief calls for immediate cessation of hostilities in Ethiopia

By Addis Getachew

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (AA) - UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday said he was "deeply shocked and saddened" over the resumption of hostilities in Ethiopia.

His remarks came hours after both the Ethiopian government and Tigray rebels confirmed a humanitarian truce had been broken following military escalation.

The Ethiopian army and the forces of the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) traded blame as to which side violated the cease-fire that was reached in March, in areas along the administrative border between Amhara and Tigray regional states.

“My strong appeal is for the immediate cessation of hostilities and for the resumption of peace talks between the Ethiopian government and the TPLF with at the same time the full guarantee of humanitarian access and to people in need and the reestablishment of public services,” he said.

The government has expressed readiness to engage in talks with the rebels in the past several months without any pre-conditions as long as they are held under the sole mediation of the African Union.

But the Tigray rebels rejected the African Union as a mediator, recommending that talks be held with Kenyan outgoing President Uhuru Kenyatta as mediator.

Thousands, mostly civilians, have been killed and millions displaced since the conflict began in November 2020.

The UN has warned that Tigray “stands on the edge of a humanitarian disaster,” with more than 40% of the region’s estimated 6 million people in need of emergency assistance.

It also said more than 5 million people were internally displaced in Afar and Amhara regional states where Tigrayan forces made military incursions a year ago inflicting huge humanitarian and property damage.