The European Union (EU) and the United States (US) envoys for the Horn of Africa have urged the Ethiopian government to resume essential services in the war-hit Tigray region, where people are struggling in dire conditions, reported The VOA News.
Tigray has been facing food shortages and no access to basic utilities since June 2021, when Tigrayan rebel forces recaptured it from the Ethiopian federal forces. The fighting eased in March this year after the two rival factions fought to a bloody stalemate and the government declared a humanitarian truce. The fighting has displaced millions of people, pushed parts of Tigray into famine conditions and killed thousands of civilians.
The EU and the US envoys recently completed their first trip to the region. The officials have expressed support for peace talks between the federal government and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front, or TPLF, after nearly two years of conflict.
In a joint statement issued after returning from Tigray’s regional capital, Mekelle, on Tuesday, Annette Weber, the EU special envoy for the Horn of Africa and his American counterpart, Mike Hammer, also called for services to be restored to the region.
In June, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s government formed a committee to negotiate with the TPLF, the party that controls Tigray. While the government is ready for talks without any preconditions, the Tigray rebels have called for the restoration of services to civilians first.
“The Envoys agree that a swift restoration of electricity, telecom, banking, and other basic services in Tigray is essential for the people of Tigray, as recognised in earlier discussions with the Ethiopian Government,” the EU and US envoys said in a joint statement.
They said Tigray’s regional president gave assurances that security would be guaranteed for workers going to restore services.
“With this security assurance, there should be no obstacle for the restoration of services to begin,” Weber and Hammer said.
