Ethiopian crisis: High level meeting on Ethiopia urges parties to end abuses, negotiate ceasefire
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (PANA) - The United States, the European Union, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom have urged the parties to the Ethiopian crisis to immediately end abuses and enter into negotiations toward a ceasefire.
This is to lay the foundation for a broader and inclusive dialogue to restore peace in thd country and preserve its unity.
This was announced by the Spokesperson of the US State Department, Ned Price, following high level discussions hosted by the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on the Ethiopian crisis.
A statement by the US State Department said they also called on the parties to the conflict to adhere to international law and allow unhindered delivery of humanitarian assistance to all who are suffering in Ethiopia.
It said Mr. Blinken met with African Union (AU) High Representative, former Nigerian president Olusegun Obasanjo to discuss the crisis.
Following that meeting, Mr. Blinken, accompanied by U.S. Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa Jeffrey Feltman, hosted a meeting with Obasanjo, the Chairman of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) and Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok, EU High Representative Josep Borrell, UK Foreign Secretary Elizabeth Truss, German Minister of the Federal Foreign Office Niels Annen, and French Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa Frederic Clavier to discuss the conflict.
The statement said they welcomed the close coordination between the AU and IGAD in pursuit of a peaceful resolution of the crisis.
The conflict which started in Tigray region and has spread into Afar and Amhara regions, has sparked one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world, with more than five million people requiring assistance, of which over 900,000 are living in famine conditions.
-0- PANA MA 13Oct2021
