Panafrican News Agency

Ethiopian crisis: US reiterates call for ceasefire

Washington, DC, US (PANA) - The US has again called for a ceasefire in the fighting between Ethiopian government forces and the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) as reports speak of the Ethiopian National Defence Force (ENDF) capturing the city of Shire on Monday.

Speaking at a press briefing in Washington on Monday, Vedant Patel, Principal Deputy Spokesperson at the Department of State, said the US was again calling on the ENDF and the Eritrean Defence Force "to immediately halt their joint military offensive and for Eritrea to withdraw its forces from northern Ethiopia".

He said the US was also calling on the Tigrayan Defence Force "to cease any additional provocations at this time", adding "it’s incumbent on all of those involved to respect and protect civilians, and we call on them to allow unhindered humanitarian access to all Ethiopians in need".

As the fighting rages on, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned on Monday that the situation "is spiralling out of control" and called for an immediate halt to the conflict.  

"Violence and destruction have reached alarming levels. Civilians are paying a horrific price. The social fabric is being ripped apart," he told journalists in New York. 

The UN chief said there is no military solution and stressed that hostilities in the Tigray region must end now – including the immediate withdrawal and disengagement of Eritrean armed forces from Ethiopia. 

Mr. Guterres said "indiscriminate attacks, including in residential areas, are killing more innocent people every day, damaging critical infrastructure and limiting access to vital services". 

He said that hundreds of thousands of people have been forced to flee their homes since hostilities resumed in August, many of them for the second time. 

"We are also hearing disturbing accounts of sexual violence and other acts of brutality against women, children and men," Mr Guteres said, stressing that all parties must adhere to their obligations under international humanitarian law.  

He described the level of need in the region as "staggering", pointing out that even before the resumption of hostilities, 13 million people required food and other support across Tigray, Amhara and Afar regions.  

The Tigray External Affairs Office of the TPLF said in a statement on Monday that it welcomes the African Union Commission Chairperson's call for a ceasefire adding that it is "ready to abide by an immediate cessation of hostilities".

The TPLF also called on the international community to "compel" the Eritrean army to withdraw from Tigray, take practical steps towards an immediate cessation of hostilities, and press the Ethiopian Government to come to the negotiating table.

"The (international community) has a choice to make: either ensure an immediate cessation of hostilities or help the people of Tigray defend themselves against (a) genocidal onslaught. If neither path is followed, the people of Tigray will continue to fight to ensure their survival."

Also on Monday, the Ethiopian Government announced "defensive measures" to safeguard the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country because of the crisis of the war.

The measures announced in a statement by the Government Communication Service (GCS) said the Government has assumed "immediate control of all airports, other federal facilities, and installations in the (Tigray) region".

It said this is necessary to protect Ethiopia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, in particular as it relates to its airspace and to enable the Government to expedite humanitarian aid to people in need.

The statement asked civilians to stay away from TPLF military assets.

It said the Ethiopian National Defence Force (ENDF) endeavours to avoid combat operations within urban areas to prevent civilian casualties and strict instructions have been given to all combat units to reinforce this commitment.

“Given the TPLF’s established practice of using civilians as a human shield and civilian facilities for military purposes, the Government of Ethiopia reiterates its call for civilians and humanitarian operators to distance themselves from TPLF’s military assets.”

The Chairperson of the African Union Commission (AUC), Moussa Faki Mahamat, has "strongly" called for an immediate, unconditional ceasefire and the resumption of humanitarian services as fighting intensifies.

The Ethiopian government troops and separatist TPLF forces have been locked in conflict since November 2020. 

The latest surge in violence began last August after a fragile five-month humanitarian truce, which has halted aid deliveries into the northern Ethiopian region where around five million civilians are in need of aid.

-0- PANA MA 18Oct2022