Ethiopia’s Tigray government say it is ready to take part in peace
talks led by the African Union (AU), removing an obstacle to potential
negotiations with Ethiopia's government to end almost two years of
fighting.
The announcement was made amid a flurry of international diplomacy
after fighting resumed last month for the first time in months in northern
Ethiopia, torpedoing a humanitarian truce.
“The government of Tigray is prepared to participate in a robust
peace process under the auspices of the African Union,” said a statement by the
authorities in the northernmost region of Tigray.
“Furthermore we are ready to abide by an immediate and mutually
agreed cessation of hostilities in order to create a conducive
atmosphere.”
According to Aljazeera, there was no immediate comment from the
Ethiopian government, which has long insisted that any peace process must be
brokered by the Addis Ababa-headquartered AU.
But the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) had until now
vehemently opposed the role of the AU’s Horn of Africa envoy Olusegun Obasanjo,
protesting at his “proximity” to Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.
Sunday’s statement, which coincided with Ethiopia’s new year, made
no mention of any preconditions for talks, although it said it expected a
“credible” peace process with “mutually acceptable” mediators as well as
international observers.
TPLF's leader and president of Tigray Debretsion Gebremichael had
earlier this month proposed a truce with four conditions including “unfettered
humanitarian access” and the restoration of essential services in war-stricken
Tigray.
In a letter to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, he had also
called for the withdrawal of Eritrean forces from across Ethiopia, and for
troops to pull out of western Tigray, a disputed region claimed by both
Tigrayans and Amharas, the country’s second-largest ethnic group.
‘Choose talks over fighting’
AU Commission Chairperson welcomes the Call by the Government of
Tigray for peaceful resolution of the Ethiopian conflict
The Chairperson of the African Union (AU) Commission, Moussa Faki
Mahamat, welcomes the announcement by the Regional Government of Tigray of its
commitment for a peaceful resolution of the conflict as well as its willingness
to participate in an African Union-led peace process.
"The Chairperson underscores this positive development as a
unique opportunity towards the restoration of peace in the Federal Democratic
Republic of Ethiopia. In this regard, the Chairperson particularly commends the
regional government of Tigray for its readiness to engage in negotiations, in
line with a similar call made by the Federal Government of Ethiopia. The
Chairperson further urges both Parties to urgently work towards an immediate
ceasefire, engage in direct talks, in an AU-led process that is inclusive of
mutually agreed international partners."
The Chairperson reiterates the AU's avowed longstanding and
continued commitment towards a robust and credible peace process, founded on
the commendable political courage displayed by both parties, which without
delay, should help in delivering on the legitimate aspirations and supreme
interests of all Ethiopians for peace, stability and sustainable
development.
On Saturday, the AU’s Commission Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat
had announced that Obasanjo’s mandate would be extended.
“I reiterated my full confidence in him & encouraged his
continued engagement with both parties & intl actors to work towards peace
& reconciliation in Ethiopia & the region,” Faki said on Twitter after
meeting Obasanjo.
Source: Aljazeera and AU
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