AU calls for ‘immediate ceasefire’ in Ethiopia’s Tigray region as fighting intensifies

The African Union’s (AU) chairman has called for an “immediate, unconditional ceasefire” in the two-year-old conflict in Ethiopia’s northern Tigray region, whereby his call for a truce comes as the pan-African body makes efforts to bring the warring sides to the negotiating table.
African Union Commission Chairman Moussa Faki Mahamat expressed “grave concern” in a statement Saturday (15 October) over the fighting and called for an “immediate, unconditional cease-fire and the resumption of humanitarian services.“ The statement also urged “the Parties to recommit to dialogue as per their agreement.” AU-led peace talks were due to take place in South Africa earlier this month but were postponed because of logistical and technical issues. The warring parties had said they were ready to participate in the process, even though fighting persists in the conflict-torn region.
The AU statement followed one issued late Saturday by a UN representative who said Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was “gravely concerned about the escalation of the fighting” and called for an immediate cessation of hostilities. Also European Union foreign policy chief Joseph Borrell said he was “horrified by the reports of continuous violence, including the targeting of civilians in Shire.“ Ethiopian government forces have been engaged in fighting with Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) rebels since November 2020. Meanwhile, an aid worker was reported among three people killed during an air strike on the town of Shire in Ethiopia’s northern Tigray region, the International Rescue Committee said on Saturday.