Germany's Foreign Minister Heiko Maas calls on all parties to halt hostilities in Ethiopia

German acting Foreign Minister Heiko Maas has called on all parties involved in the violence in Ethiopia to halt hostilities immediately. He urged the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) and the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA) to halt their offensives, as well as the Ethiopian army to cease bombing and mobilise. Maas also emphasised the importance of ensuring humanitarian access to the conflict-affected regions of Tigray, Amhara, and Afar.

Heiko Maas, on late Thursday, as quoted by his press service, said, “the conflict in northern Ethiopia has dangerously escalated a year after its eruption. All the warring sides must immediately cease the hostilities. As earlier, Germany and its partners are calling for negotiations and the peaceful resolution of the conflict.”

He stressed that Germany will continue to cooperate with its international allies toward dialogue and a peaceful resolution of the situation. As a result of the escalating humanitarian crisis, Maas warned that human suffering in the Tigray, Amhara, and Afar regions had reached catastrophic proportions. He added that now, more than ever, humanitarian relief workers require unrestricted access to carry out their life-saving mission, according to the press release.

US "gravely concerned" over Ethiopian Violence

Moreover, US is also "gravely concerned" about the escalation of violence in Ethiopia and the spread of hostilities, and it reiterated on Wednesday its appeal for all parties involved in the conflict to halt military operations and initiate peace talks. The Ethiopian government and TPLF rebels have been fighting for control of the country's northern region for over a year.

On October 31, fewer than 370 kilometres (230 miles) north of Addis Ababa, the rebels grabbed control of the town of Kombolcha. The authorities have urged Addis Abeba people to arm themselves in order to defend their neighbourhoods. On Monday, November 1, Ethiopia announced a state of emergency after the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) made military victories in the Amhara area, which borders the Tigray province. The TPLF announced last week that it had taken control of the crucial cities of Disi and Kombolcha in the northern state of Amhara. Due to Ethiopian violence, which UN has termed as a humanitarian disaster, millions of people have been internally displaced. In response to TPLF raids on army barracks, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed dispatched troops to Tigray in November 2020.

(With inputs from agencies)

Image: AP