BRUSSELS, Nov. 2 European Council President Charles Michel supported the agreements of the authorities and the rebels in Ethiopia to cease hostilities, promised support from the European Union in the event of further steps towards reconciliation in this African country. two years.
«Welcome the African Union-brokered cessation of hostilities in Ethiopia. Now the key is to implement it. It is important to consolidate this first step towards a lasting peace. Ensuring humanitarian assistance and basic services is a priority. EU stands ready to support the next steps,» Michel tweeted. capital of Pretoria. The meeting, which began on October 25, is the first public dialogue between the parties.
The conflict in northern Ethiopia broke out in November 2020. Then the country's authorities accused the «People's Front for the Liberation of Tigray» (TPLF), which dominated the political life of Ethiopia for almost three decades, of attacking a military base, and launched an operation in Tigray. In June 2021, the rebels in Tigray took the administrative center of the region, the city of Mekele, the Ethiopian government announced an unconditional ceasefire. However, the rebels later announced that they had launched a new offensive, established control over part of Tigray and invaded the Amhara region.
The truce was reached only in March 2022, when the Ethiopian authorities announced the introduction of an indefinite humanitarian truce to deliver humanitarian aid to Tigray. After a five-month truce, hostilities resumed in August.