The 7-member peace committee has prepared a “proposal” to begin ceasefire negotiations with the rebels and put an end to the violence in the northern region, according to a spokesperson for the Ethiopian Prime Minister’s Office, who made the announcement on Wednesday.
Will a cease-fire and a national conversation put an end to the 20-month war in northern Ethiopia? The Ethiopian Prime Minister’s Office’s spokeswoman emphasized on Wednesday that the administration wanted negotiations with rebel leaders in the Tigray area to begin.
A strategy was developed for this reason by the seven-member peace group that was constituted in June.
“The three-pronged peace proposal. First, it suggests that negotiations for a ceasefire take place in the upcoming weeks. Second, it suggests that the parties engage in a thorough political discussion that will ultimately lead to a resolution. Thirdly, it suggests holding a national dialogue to address other unresolved concerns “Billene Seyoum, the PM’s office press secretary, provided more information.
The committee’s request was rejected by the TPLF rebels as “obfuscation”. The parties disagree on a number of subjects and requirements for the negotiations if both sides have designated negotiators. For instance, the rebels desire the restoration of essential services in the war-torn northern region.
The press secretary clarified that the request was one that could not be met at the time: “We argue that in order for the provision of basic services to be possible, a supportive environment must be created that ensures the freedom of federal service providers to operate and that their safety is supported locally. And at the moment, the necessary enabling and secure atmosphere for the restoration of services is lacking because of a very vocally aggressive and unlawfully armed gang that acts at its own whim and refuses to accept peace discussions.”
Since a humanitarian cease-fire was announced at the end of March, fighting has subsided, but no political resolution has been reached. There is no mediator selected by both the rebels and the administration. The African Union is in charge of putting an end to the conflict, which has killed thousands of people and displaced millions.
Getachew Reda, a spokesman for the TPLF, charged the administration with breaking its “often-repeated vow to take measures aimed at creating conducive climate for peaceful dialogue.”
The head of the WHO, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who is from the troubled area, blasted world leaders for ignoring the humanitarian crisis on Wednesday and called the “man-made calamity” there the “biggest disaster on Earth.”
“This heinous cruelty must stop. There is only one answer: peace “During a news conference in Geneva, he said.
The TPLF, which ruled Ethiopian politics for thirty years, was accused of bombing federal army barracks, which ignited the conflict in northern Ethiopia.
