The United Nations (UN) Secretary-General António Guterres on Wednesday said he was delighted to learn that there is a demonstrable effort to make peace in Ethiopia after more than 14 months of war, reported UN News. The clashes first erupted between federal Government troops and forces loyal to the Tigray Peoples Liberation Front (TPLF) in November 2020.
Guterres’ statement came after his telephonic conversation with African Union envoy Olusegun Obasanjo who recently made a visit to Addis Ababa and the capital of Ethiopia’s embattled Tigray region.
“I am delighted that after over a year of armed conflict which has affected millions of people across Ethiopia and the rest of the region, there is now a demonstrable effort to make peace,” the UN chief said.
He, however, acknowledged that military operations in some parts of Ethiopia were still posing challenges to the peace process. He called on the warring sides to work towards the end of hostilities for achieving peace.
“The United Nations stands ready to support an all-inclusive and nationally owned dialogue, peace, security, and reconciliation process in Ethiopia,” Guterres said.
The UN chief urged the international community to emphasize the need for all parties to demonstrate sincerity and commitment to the peace process.
Ambassador David Satterfield, a new U.S. envoy for the Horn of Africa, is set to meet with Ethiopian officials on Thursday.
Ethiopia’s war has killed tens of thousands of people and displaced millions. The United States says some 900,000 people in Tigray, which has been under an Ethiopian government blockade since late June, face famine conditions.
The World Health Organization (WHO) said medical supplies have not been allowed into the region of some 6 million people.
The UN is planning to provide food assistance to 2.1 million people in Tigray, along with 650,000 in the neighboring region of Amhara and 534,000 in Afar region.
