Ethiopian crisis: IGAD welcomes Ethiopia parties' commitment to ceasefire and mediation
Khartoum, Sudan (PANA) - The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), the East African development grouping, has welcomed recent Ethiopian steps to return to the negotiating table to settle differences between the central government and rebel group, the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) in Tigray region.
Dr Workneh Gebeyehu, IGAD Executive Secretary, said his organisation has been following with keen interest the situation in Ethiopia and that he was “pleased" to see that the parties to the conflict are showing strong willingness to return to the negotiating table under the auspices of the African Union and in line with IGAD’s position to make use of diplomacy to find a lasting solution to the problem.
IGAD, which groups Ethiopia, Djibouti, Eritrea, Sudan, South Sudan, Somalia, Kenya and Uganda, said it stands ready to support and that it remains at the disposal of the parties to assist in any way they may consider mutually beneficial.
“Dr Workneh is encouraged by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s government's consistent commitment to dialogue to resolve grievances in all parts of the country through an all-inclusive political process and appeals to all the parties in Ethiopia to seize the opportunity in order to arrive at a lasting peace," IGAD said in a statement received by PANA on Tuesday.
It said that Dr Workneh is further encouraged by a statement issued on Monday by the government of the Tigray region for dialogue which is also in line with similar calls made by the Federal Government of Ethiopia.
“The Executive Secretary therefore calls upon the Federal government and authorities in the Tigray region to build confidence in their relations and to address all the outstanding issues and encourages them to continue these efforts with patience and strong commitment." the statement said.
-0- PANA MO/MA 13Sept2022
