Ethiopia’s govt, Tigray rebels convene for first peace talks in South Africa
The Ethiopian government and Tigray rebels have arrived in South Africa for peace talks convened by the African Union (AU) that are hailed as the most serious effort to date aimed at finding a solution to the catastrophic two year-long war in northern Ethiopia
On Monday (24 October), negotiators for the Ethiopian government and regional forces from Tigray were due to meet in the South African capital Pretoria for the first formal peace talks since war broke out two years ago. Just ahead of the talks, Ethiopian troops and allied Eritrean forces took two more towns in Tigray previously under Tigrayan forces’ control, the latest in a series of setbacks for forces led by the rebel Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF). The government has earlier vowed to take control of the Tigray region’s airports and federal institutions. Diplomats have urged the parties to agree to a ceasefire, with US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken sounding the alarm Friday (21 October) over “reports of significant loss of life, destruction, indiscriminate bombardment, and human rights abuses” in the Tigray region.
Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed must return to talks immediately and his government has a special responsibility to de-escalate Tigray war, if Ethiopia’s once-optimistic future is not to be lost in the inferno of a brutal war, writes David Thomas in his latest opinion piece published in African Business. „While all observers are careful not to apportion blame to one party, it is clear that there is a special responsibility on the Ethiopian government and its allies to end the latest offensive and to protect civilians in areas that it has already taken,“ says Thomas. As UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres and the AU have repeatedly pointed out, there is no military solution to a conflict that is destroying the fabric of Ethiopia, its reputation as a business destination and its hopes of a prosperous future. Therefore, Thomas argues, the government must return to talks immediately.
