There are no two parties herethere is a Government representing the will of the Ethiopian people and State, and there is a group advancing its greedy and criminal cause through atrocity, he stressed. Adding that5.2million people are relying on food aid, he called for the creation of favourable conditions for humanitarian access, full observation of international humanitarian law, rapid restoration of public services and upscaling of assistance. The current government says it has worked hard to include members of the former ruling coalition and previously excluded ethnic groups - but this has not included the TPLF. Ethiopias civil war is raging. It exhibited outrageous corruption, land grabbing, and ethnic-based favoritism and ethnic chauvinism. SVEN JRGENSON (Estonia) called upon the Tigray Peoples Liberation Front to withdraw its troops from Amhara and Afar and the Government of Ethiopia to refrain from air strikes on civilian targets. Highlighting reports of extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, genderbased violence and arrests of journalists, he said these human rights violations must be investigated and punished, and he called on the parties to reach a ceasefire and establish conditions for a national dialogue, immediately and without preconditions. We urge the parties to accelerate, uphold, and expand these efforts to ensure, as President Biden has said, immediate, sustained, and unimpeded humanitarian access to all Ethiopians affected by this conflict. One Year On, Ethiopia's Tigray Conflict No Closer to Political Solution Since the beginning of the fighting in Tigray, regional leaders as well as African Ambassadors at the UNSC and the AUPSC have worked hard to cooperate with the international community to stop the fighting and prevent it from worsening in order to help stabilise and bring back normalcy to Ethiopia. Hence, although they might have their own internal differences, interests, and aspirations, like other countries, its people have forged a unity and strength especially when faced with external or internal threats. While the recent conflict in Tigray renewed international focus on Ethiopia, more challenges lie ahead, including elections now scheduled for June 5. Blog, The United States Institute of Peace Legal and Privacy Information | FOIA Inquiries. Could a National Dialogue Solve Ethiopia's Political Crisis? This offensive was undertaken after the TPLF attacked federal military units in the region. Norways delegate called on the Tigray Defence Forces, the Tigray Peoples Liberation Front and forces from the Oromia Liberation Army not to attempt an attack on AddisAbaba. Against that backdrop, he called on the Fronts supporters to desist from providing the group with communications equipment, satellite information, weapons and fighters, adding that what his country has gone through at the hands of this criminal group will require intergenerational effort to heal. Global AIDS Coordinator and Global Health Diplomacy, Office of the U.S. Special Presidential Coordinator for the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment, Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs, Special Representative for Syria Engagement, U.S. Security Coordinator for Israel and the Palestinian Authority, Office of the U.S. We honour and respect the call for political dialogue, he said, while spotlighting deepseated political differences and grievances in Ethiopias nascent democracy. The trucks the Government sent to Tigray with food and medical supplies are transporting weapons and youth combatants forced to fight against their brothers and sisters for no apparent public interest except for the greed of a few. The state of Ethiopias political transition is contested, and the country remains polarized. The monarchy which, despite some flaws, played an important role in Ethiopias history, was terminated when a despotic military dictatorship, Derg (1974-1991), assumed power and left its atrocious imprint in the countrys history. Rejecting claims that the UnitedNations is biased in favour of one party, she said that the world body condemns violence and human rights abuses committed by all sides. She also urged the federal Government to refrain from imposing any measures or restrictions upon civilians of specific ethnicities, including Tigray and Oromo. Conflict in the country is deeply rooted and complex. Filsan Abdi, founder director of the Horn Peace Institute, discusses her decision to resign from her prior position as Ethiopias minister of women, children and youth in protest of the violence, why womens participation is so vital to the long-term success of peacebuilding and democracy in the Horn of Africa, and why the current peace process gives her hope despite its shortcomings. 920 million people could face conflict over the world's rivers by 2050 Ethiopia's Tigray crisis: How the conflict could destabilise its Emebet: The political transition underway since Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed came to power is not Ethiopias first. On the humanitarian situation, she said more than7million people need aid in northern Ethiopia. Peace for Ethiopia: What Should Follow Blinkens Visit? Growth is projected to accelerate from 2.6% in 2022 to 3.9% in 2023 due to stronger-than-expected external demand, especially in China, Europe, and the US, as well as . They need and deserve support and solidarity not closed borders and pushbacks. A reformed ruling party has been established, which created inclusive politics by better involving regional political parties than previously. One vision is of centralization, the basis of which is to reclaim quasi-unitarist powers that have beenat least de juredismantled over decades. By appointing new regional state presidents and councils, the prime ministers office is replacing federalism with centralization. Ethno-nationalist political narratives have increased ethnic polarization, inter-communal intolerance and violence, and are antagonistic to Abiy's hope for unity. This week, the African Unions chairperson called for an immediate cease-fire and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken also called on the parties to cease hostilities and participate in talks organized by the African Union. As many as 3,000 people have been killed since the conflict started on April 15, Sudan's minister of health, Haitham Ibrahim, told Saudi-owned al-Hadath News Television on June 17. Yet those tasks remain arduous and will require difficult compromises on all sides in Ethiopias conflicts. RAVINDRARAGUTTAHALLI (India), noting that humanitarian efforts led by the UnitedNations have been stalled in recent weeks, said it is important that humanitarian assistance in Ethiopia resume at the earliest available opportunity. Such instability has a potentially negative impact on the region. Ethiopia's Tigray war: The short, medium and long story - BBC For months, a conflict in Ethiopia between the government in Addis Ababa and a defiant region has cost thousands of lives and displaced at least a million people.. All leaders are aware that their individual differences are political and, as such, require a political solution through dialogue, which constitutes a window of opportunity to assist the people to find a lasting solution to the crisis, he emphasized. not lead to a political or other solution of the conflict, especially not in view of the undiminished belligerent strategy of the TPLF. This transition means different things to different people. Equally concerning for neighbouring countries, the situation in Tigray has the potential of seeping into and disrupting the administration and governance of the rest of Ethiopia. In the first year of reforms, prisoners were released, the media revived, and exiled opposition returned to the country. He outlined steps taken to promote peace, stability, and political dialogue in the region, including visits last month to Europe and the United States to secure the support of world leaders, including the President of France and the Secretary of State of the United States, as well as the SecretaryGeneral of the UnitedNations. The current conflict in Ethiopia seems to be given different and erroneous interpretations by most members of the international community. Fighting in the Tigray region of Ethiopia is "spiralling out of control", and there is no military solution to end nearly two years of brutal conflict which has left tens of thousands. Voicing Support for African Union's Peace Efforts in Ethiopia, Security Now, the solution lies in building bridges between communities and narrowing the gulf between the different political visions. The initial euphoria that greeted the transition was short-lived. It is time to talk about the common challenges that every Ethiopian faces. He stressed the importance of parties constructively engaging in discussions for a peaceful solution to pave the way for an inclusive Ethiopianled dialogue and national reconciliation. After 27 years of total control of the country TPLF/EPRDF was dismantled in 2018 through internal rearrangements and reorganized as the Prosperity Party headed by the current Prime Minister, Abiy Ahmad. Further, the Council must call for immediate and unhindered humanitarian access in the region, for all parties to ensure respect and compliance with international humanitarian law and practice, and for the immediate commencement of allinclusive international dialogue and reconciliation. This is a country that boasts a long, and enduring history full of triumphs and tribulations, especially in its recent memory. The meeting began at3:04p.m. and ended at4:41p.m. ROSEMARY DICARLO, UnderSecretaryGeneral for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, said that the yearlong conflict in the Tigray region of Ethiopia has reached dangerous proportions. Ultimately, Ethiopian ownership of the process, participants' political will, and determination to ensure implementation will be intrinsic to the success of any dialogue process. What comes next in Ethiopia will have major implications for its people, the strategically vital Red Sea arena and for U.S. interests in the region. This would upset the delicate balance of Federal States that constitute modern Ethiopia. The Tigray War [b] was an armed conflict that lasted from 3 November 2020 [a] to 3 November 2022. Emebet Getachew is country program manager at the Life & Peace Institute in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The consistent message from AU Member States on the continent insists on promoting the cessation of hostilities in order to ensure full and unfettered humanitarian access by road, rail or air into the affected areas. We are similarly encouraged that Tigrayan forces have withdrawn most of their forces from Afar and have reiterated their commitment to a peaceful resolution of the conflict. The civil conflicts during the Abiy Ahmed administration is an episode of intrastate conflicts that began under Abiy Ahmed.Following the 2018 dissolution of the ethnic federalist, dominant party political coalition, the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front, there was an increase in tensions within the country, with newly resurgent regional and ethnically based factions carrying . The urgency for such an inclusive initiative has never been greater, she said, urging Ethiopians to come together to build a shared, prosperous future before it is too late. The regional countries and organizations could play a leading role in the political settlement of the issue.