Nearly 2-year conflict has killed thousands of civilians and displaced millions
JOHANNESBURG
Officials in northern Ethiopia’s rebel-held Tigray region said Sunday they are ready to abide by calls from the African Union for an immediate cessation of hostilities.
In a statement issued late in the day, the regional government of Tigray said it welcomes calls by African Union Commission Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat urging the conflicting parties to implement an immediate and unconditional cease-fire.
“Efforts to bring about a cessation of hostilities underscore the gravity of the humanitarian catastrophe,” said a statement posted on the official Twitter account of Getachew Reda, a spokesman for the Tigray forces.
The war between Ethiopian government forces and Tigray fighters erupted in November 2020 after the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) attacked federal army bases stationed across Tigray, including in the regional capital of Mekele.
Government forces have since been battling the Tigrayan forces. The conflict has killed thousands of civilians and displaced millions.
In Sunday’s statement, the Tigray leadership decried alleged violations of international law by Ethiopian forces, which they accuse of indiscriminate aerial bombing and artillery bombardments targeting civilians and destroying towns, villages and homes.
Anadolu Agency could not independently verify these claims, as Ethiopian officials were not readily available for comment.
“We also call on the international community to compel the Eritrean army to withdraw from Tigray, take practical steps towards an immediate cessation of hostilities, and press the Ethiopian government to come to the negotiating table,” the statement said.
