Tuesday November 10, 2020
ADDIS ABABA (HOL) - The African Union has called for ‘immediate cessation’ of hostilities in Ethiopia amid heightened tension in the country’s Tigray region.
'AU Commission chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat said Monday the continental body stood by ‘constitutional order, territorial integrity, unity and national sovereignty of the Federal Democratic
Republic of Ethiopia to ensure stability in the country and in the Region.’
“The Chairperson appeals for the immediate cessation of hostilities and calls on parties to respect human rights and ensure the protection of civilians,” a Mahamat said in a statement.
He further urged the parties to engage in dialogue to seek a peaceful solution in the interests of the country.
The AU chief’s remarks come as Ethiopian military battle forces loyal to the Tigrayian People Liberation Front in Tigray region. Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Monday dismissed claims the country was descending into civil war noting the military was in full control of the situation.
“Concerns that Ethiopia will descend into chaos are unfounded & a result of not understanding our context deeply.Our rule of law enforcement operation, as a sovereign state with the capacity to manage its own internal affairs, will wrap up soon by ending the prevailing impunity,” the Ethiopian PM said in a tweet.
However media reports in Sudan noted Monday ‘thousands’ of federal forces and customs officials had crossed into Sudan to seek cover after the Tigray forces pushed them northwards.
Reuters reported Monday evening hundreds of soldiers from the Tigray and federal army had been killed in the week-long clash.