Ethiopia officials meet Tigray rivals in SA

Members of the Ethiopian government and rival Tigray forces have started peace talks in South Africa. This marks the first formal meeting between the two fighting sides after nearly two years of deadly conflict.

The Presidency assured South Africa is ready to host and assist the peace talks. He also added hope to the lasting peace dreamt for the people of Ethiopia.

Spokesperson for President Cyril Ramaphosa, Vincent Magwenya, said that the talks “have been convened to find a peaceful and sustainable solution to the devastating conflict in the Tigray region”. The discussions started on Oct 25th, and are expected to run until the end of the month.

The talks are mediated by members of the African Union. It is headed by Nigeria’s former President, Olusegun Obasanjo, supported by Kenya’s former leader Uhuru Kenyatta. The team is rounded off by SA’s ex-Vice President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka.

The bloody conflict in Ethiopia

Fighting broke out in November 2022, when the Ethiopian Prime Minister (Abiy Ahmed) ordered troops into Tigray. He accused the region’s ruling party (Tigray People’s Liberation Front / TPLF) of attacking federal army camps.

Two years later, the conflict has left thousands killed, many more on the brink of famine, and millions displaced.

The battle surged after a humanitarian truce broke in August. Just last week, the Ethiopian military took over three towns from the rebels in Tigray. This raised fears that the advancing soldiers would commit abuses against civilians.

What the Nations say

With this, the United Nations and Ethiopia’s-appointed human rights commission found that all parties fighting in the war committed violations that may amount to war crimes.

United Nations Chief, Antonio Guterres regarded the war as one ‘spiralling out of control’. His sentiments were echoed by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk – who warned that air attacks in the region were seriously exacerbating the already devastating impact on civilians.