Northern Ethiopia has been at war for almost two years now, and the ceasefire broke down again in August. Government forces have also said they agree to peace talks mediated by the African Union.
Tigray the forces announced on Sunday that they were ready for an immediate ceasefire and African Union-brokered peace talks with Ethiopia’s central government.
“We are ready to commit to an immediate and mutually agreed cessation of hostilities to create a favorable atmosphere,” the Tigray leadership stated in its announcementwhich it posted on Twitter on September 11.
New Year was also celebrated in Ethiopia on Sunday. The Tigray leadership said they want to see that “Ethiopians in general, but the people of Tigray in particular” no longer have to hear gunfire and suffer the blockade of essential services and humanitarian aid.
Also The Ethiopian government has previously expressed its agreement to peace talks mediated by the African Union, says the German Radio’s foreign service Deutsche Welle. The government has said it will agree to the negotiation table without preconditions.
The Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) and central government forces have been at war in northern Ethiopia for almost two years. Most recently, fighting broke out again in August, when both sides accused each other of violating a five-month ceasefire.
In addition to the war, Ethiopia is suffering from a drought that has deepened the food crisis and is making the Horn of Africa thinner. At the same time, the violence makes it difficult for aid to reach the area. According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), 20 million of the country’s approximately 120 million inhabitants are in need of humanitarian aid during the current year.
Previously The TPLF forces have viewed peace talks brokered by the African Union with suspicion, writes CNN. Among other things, they have demanded that the government restore Tigray’s central banking and communication services before agreeing to any kind of negotiations.
Now, however, the Tigray forces state in a press release that they expect credible peace negotiations from the African Union, involving peace mediators, international observers and experts approved by both sides of the conflict.
Chairperson of the African Union Commission Moussa Faki Mahamat called the Tigray forces’ declaration on Sunday a “unique opportunity towards rebuilding peace” in Ethiopia.
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