TPLF welcomes AU-led peace talks

A statement by the authorities in Ethiopia’s northernmost region of Tigray, said the government of Tigray is prepared to participate in a robust peace process under the auspices of the African Union, removing an obstacle to potential negotiations with the central government, to end almost two years of fighting.

The announcement came amid a flurry of international diplomacy after fighting in northern Ethiopia flared up again last month, torpedoing a humanitarian truce.
In the statement, the TPLF added that the group is ready to abide by an immediate and mutually agreed cessation of hostilities in order to create a conducive atmosphere.

There was no immediate comment from the Ethiopian government, which has long insisted that any peace process must be brokered by the Addis Ababa-headquartered AU.
However, the Tigray People’s Liberation Front had until now vehemently opposed the role of the AU’s Horn of Africa envoy Olusegun Obasanjo, protesting at his “proximity” to Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.

The statement on Sunday, which coincided with Ethiopia’s new year, made no mention of any preconditions for talks, although it said it expected a “credible” peace process with “mutually acceptable” mediators as well as international observers.

Earlier this month, TPLF leader Debretsion Gebremichael had proposed a truce with four conditions including “unfettered humanitarian access” and the restoration of essential services in war-stricken Tigray.
In a letter to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, he had also called for the withdrawal of Eritrean forces from across Ethiopia, and for troops to pull out of western Tigray, a disputed region claimed by both Tigrayans and Amharas, the country’s second-largest ethnic group.

On Saturday, the AU’s Commission Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat had announced that Obasanjo’s mandate would be extended. Taking to twitter to encourage his continued engagement with both parties & intl actors, in working towards peace & reconciliation in Ethiopia & the region.

Fighting has raged on several fronts in northern Ethiopia since hostilities resumed on August 24, with both sides accusing the other of firing first and breaking a March truce.