Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed is under pressure to demand a ceasefire in Tigray
ADDIS ABEBA – The Ethiopian government is under increasing pressure from international partners to order a ceasefire in the Tigray region, where the humanitarian crisis is deteriorating daily, with hundreds of deaths and starvation reported by several non-state actors.
Since November 2020, Ethiopia’s national defense force [ENDF], Eritrean troops and Amhara regional forces have gone ballistic on the Tigray People’s Liberation Front [TPLF] otherwise known as the Tigray Defense Forces, leaving hundreds of civilians dead.
Although Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has often announced plans to withdraw Eritrean troops, such a move has not yet been implemented. A number of people have called the conflict “worst in history” with others calling the massacre “genocide” despite defenses from Addis Ababa.
The international community now wants Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed to declare a ceasefire in the Tigray region to allow humanitarian organizations to reach millions of people facing starvation. Several blockades have been introduced by the troops in the region.
The war in Tigray has disrupted the harvest and led to major problems for the provision of support to communities, especially in rural areas. More than 2 million people are believed to have been displaced by the conflict.
In a statement, the United States supported a statement released by Britain calling for a ceasefire, arguing that the humanitarian crisis in the region was worsening. A few weeks ago, the United States imposed travel sanctions on top officials from Ethiopia and Eritrea.
“We agree with the United Kingdom that the humanitarian situation in Tigray is rapidly deteriorating. A crime in the fighting NOW, combined with unlimited humanitarian access, will immediately help ward off the risk of famine,” the statement from the US Embassy in Addis Ababa read. .
“The United States demands that all parties to the conflict cease hostilities and unrestricted humanitarian access so that aid can flow and famine can be averted,” it added.
James Duddridge, the UK’s Minister for Africa, called on all parties involved in the conflict to give humanitarian teams access to thousands of people believed to be starving. Eritrean troops are said to be notorious for blocking humanitarian teams.
“Nine humanitarian workers have been killed in Tigray since November. Aid workers are not a target and must be protected. Britain is calling for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire by all parties to the conflict to enable aid delivery and prevent imminent famine,” he said. noted.
US President Joe Biden had said last week: “All parties, especially the Ethiopian and Eritrean forces, must allow immediate, unrestricted humanitarian access to the region to prevent major famine.”
The Tigray region has pushed for autonomy from the Ethiopian administration and the situation has worsened since 2019 after the Tigray People’s Liberation Front [TPLF] withdrawn from the government. The region continued with elections contrary to Addis Ababa’s desire for 2020.
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