Ethiopia: Tigray rebels ready for talks under AU auspices

Published on: 09/11/2022 – 23:36 As fighting resumed last month against Ethiopian government forces, Tigray rebels say they are ready on Sunday to accept mediation from the African Union, which welcomes a “unique opportunity”. Ethiopian rebels in Tigray announced on Sunday (September 11) that they were ready to participate in peace talks under the aegis of the African Union (AU), aimed at ending nearly two years of armed conflict in this region. northern Ethiopia. “The government of Tigray is ready to participate in a robust peace process under the auspices of the African Union,” said a statement from authorities in the rebel region. “Furthermore, we are ready to respect an immediate and mutually agreed cessation of hostilities, in order to create a conducive atmosphere,” they added. This decision comes as diplomatic efforts increase to find a peaceful solution to the conflict, after that renewed fighting last month shattered a truce established in March. The Ethiopian government has long insisted that any peace process must be negotiated under the aegis of the AU, headquartered in Addis Ababa , the Ethiopian capital. But the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) had until then always rejected the mediation of the AU’s special envoy to the Horn of Africa, former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, denouncing its “proximity” with Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.”Positive developments”African Union (AU) Commission Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat hailed a “unique opportunity” to end nearly two years of war, and called “the two parties to work urgently towards the establishment of a ceasefire, to engage in direct negotiations, within the framework of a process under the aegis of the AU, including mutually agreed international partners” Ethiopia’s Minister of State for Peace, Taye Dendea, on Twitter called the TPLF announcement a “positive development”, while insisting that “the so-called TDF (Tigray Defense Forces) must be disarmed before the start of peace talks. Clear position!’.The TPLF announcement, which c coincides with the Ethiopian New Year, does not mention a precondition, but the Tigrayan rebels say they want a “credible” peace process, with mediators “acceptable” to both sides, as well as international observers. , TPLF leader Debretsion Gebremichael had offered a conditional truce providing for “unhindered humanitarian access” and the restoration of essential services in Tigray, which is suffering from food shortages and a lack of electricity, communications and banking services. In a letter to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, he also called for the withdrawal of Eritrean forces from all of Ethiopia and Tigray. Sunday’s statement said a negotiating team including Getachew Reda, the TPLF spokesperson, and General Tsadkan Gebretensae, former chief of staff of the Ethiopian army today at the central military command in Tigray, is “ready to be deployed without delay”. With AFP