The United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday made an appeal to Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and head of the Tigray People’s Liberation Front, Debretsion Gebremichael, to immediately halt the latest eruption of hostilities, reported The US News.
UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said Guterres had separate telephonic conversations with the Ethiopian leader and TPLF head during which he called for the creation of conditions to restart an effective political dialogue.
Notably, on Wednesday, Tigray authorities alleged that Ethiopia’s military forces had launched a large-scale offensive for the first time in a year in Tigray. But the Ethiopian government countered that Tigray forces attacked first.
The conflict between the federal government troops and TPLF forces began in November 2020, killing thousands of people in Africa’s second-most populous country The clashes had calmed in recent months amid slow-moving mediation efforts. Humanitarian aid flow only resumed recently to the Tigray region after the federal government and rebel forces agreed to a conditional cessation of hostilities and unhindered delivery of humanitarian aid into the northernmost region.
But last week, Ahmed’s spokeswoman asserted that Tigray authorities were not ready to accept peace talks and this week, Ethiopia’s military warned the public against reporting troop movements.
On Wednesday, the UN said the Tigrayan forces forcibly entered a World Food Program warehouse in Mekele and took 12 fuel tankers meant for the delivery of humanitarian aid.
In a statement on Thursday, U.N. humanitarian chief Martin Griffiths condemned the diversion of the tankers, saying they carrying over 570,000 liters of fuel that was “meant to help the U.N. and its partners bring humanitarian supplies to people who badly need assistance.”
The UN humanitarian chief warned without the humanitarian aid people will be left without food, nutrition supplements, medicines and other essential items. He warned that the consequences can be dire.
Griffiths demanded an end to the obstruction of humanitarian aid and protection of supplies throughout Ethiopia. He renewed calls to restore basic services in Tigray, including banking and electricity.
The UN estimates that 2 million liters of fuel are required every month for humanitarian operations.
