The African Union expressed deep concern on Friday about the developments in Ethiopia’s Tigray region, where political disputes between rival factions threaten the fragile peace agreement that ended the war in the area.
In an official statement, the African Union confirmed it is closely monitoring the escalating tensions within the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), warning of the dangerous situation’s impact on regional stability.
The Union emphasized the importance of respecting the peace agreement, calling on all parties to exercise restraint and engage in constructive dialogue to prevent the region from sliding into a new round of violence.
The African Union stressed in its statement that adhering to the peace agreement is crucial for maintaining the stability achieved after prolonged suffering and for creating an atmosphere conducive to national reconciliation and sustainable development in the region.
The Union emphasized the importance of achieving a comprehensive political settlement that ensures the participation of all parties, warning that any setback could lead to worsening humanitarian and political conditions in the area.
For his part, the governor of Tigray warned that the region faces a worsening humanitarian crisis due to disrupted efforts to return displaced people and internal conflicts hindering stability.
He added that the Tigray Liberation Front, which he described as a “dissident faction,” declared itself the only legitimate authority in the region, creating political chaos that threatens social peace.
The Tigray governor also denounced the presence of Eritrean forces within the region, considering it a serious threat to its stability. He called on the Ethiopian federal government to take responsibility and protect the region from any external interventions that could lead to further escalation.
The regional governor urged the international community to intervene to prevent the crisis from worsening and to pressure for the full implementation of the Pretoria Peace Agreement. He also called for immediate action to prevent the expansion of the Tigray Liberation Front, which he said poses a threat to the stability of the entire region.
The Pretoria Peace Agreement, signed in November 2022, ended the bloody two-year war between the Ethiopian federal government and Tigray rebels, which resulted in up to 600,000 deaths, according to some estimates.
However, delays in fully implementing the agreement’s provisions have deepened political divisions within the region, raising fears of a new conflict.
Source: Al Jazeera + Agencies
