As a special envoy returned to Addis Ababa on Monday, the US State Department said it believed that there was a small window of opportunity to work with the African Union to make progress on peacefully resolving the conflict in Ethiopia.
On Monday night, a Special Envoy from the United States for the Horn of Africa, Jeffrey Feltman, will meet with the African Union’s envoy for the region, former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, a spokesperson fro the State Department, Ned Price said.
‘We believe there is a small window of opportunity to collaborate with the African Union’s High Representative for the Horn of Africa… to advance joint efforts to peacefully resolve the conflict in Ethiopia,’ Price told the reporters.
The United States has repeatedly called for an end to hostilities in northern Ethiopia’s year-long conflicts between the government and Tigrayan forces, which has escalated rapidly in recent weeks.
The Tigrayan army and its allies have threatened to march on Addis Ababa. Last week, the government declared a six-month state of emergency.
In November 2020, a war broke out between the federal troops and Tigray’s ruling party, the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF). Thousands have died since then, and over 2 million people have fled their homes.
Last week, Feltman visited Ethiopia, where he met with Ethiopian and regional officials. According to Price, he returned to Ethiopia from Kenya on Monday.
‘We’re engaging with the parties to try to put them on a path to a cease-fire, which is our priority right now and will be, in the future,’ Price said.
Post Your Comments