It is reported that various parties are working to end the 15-month war in northern Ethiopia, which has caused severe human and material dam...
It is reported that various parties are working to end the 15-month war in northern Ethiopia, which has caused severe human and material damage.
Talks between the African Union, the United States and Kenya between the Ethiopian government and the TPLF, which controls the Tigray region, have been ongoing despite efforts to end the conflict and provide humanitarian assistance to those in need.
At various times during the war, both the Ethiopian government and the TPLF leaders have stated that they do not want to sit around the table, but rather win each other.
The West has repeatedly stated that it does not want to negotiate with the terrorist group, despite calls from the West for talks after government forces took control of Tigray shortly after the war began last year.
Eight months later, when the government declared a separate ceasefire and withdrew its troops from Tigray, the TPLF took full control of Tigray and expanded its offensive to Afar and Amhara.
The TPLF's advance has intensified and it has reached North Shoa, with the rebels claiming that their next destination is Addis Ababa.
Despite this, US Special Envoy Jeffrey Feltman and African Union envoy Olusegun Obasanjo traveled to Addis Ababa, Mekele and Nairobi to mediate.
In November, government forces led by the prime minister launched an offensive against the TPLF, which seemed to open a new door to peace.
Meanwhile, the government announced that it had recaptured the TPLF-held areas of Amhara and Afar, while TPLF leaders said they had sent their fighters back to Tigray to provide a chance for peace.
Following this, Feltman and his successors, David Sutterfield and Obasanjo, are expected to continue their efforts to negotiate with the government and the TPLF, but no clear results have been forthcoming.
However, Obasanjo told UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon that he hoped to hold talks with the two sides and end the fighting.
Negotiation Summary
The TPLF has repeatedly stated that it is ready to end the war through negotiations, but Ethiopian government officials have not heard of any such talks.
In mid-January, however, the US government reported that the Ethiopian government was interested in holding talks with the rebel TPLF.
According to the Associated Press, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said his government was ready to hold talks with Tigray forces.
"There is a strong desire to end the war," said Mesfin Tegenu, chairman of the American-Ethiopian Public Affairs Committee.
Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva "There will be negotiations. There will be reasonable negotiations that will put the interests of the country first," the AP quoted the chairman as saying.
Although the Ethiopian government has not yet commented on the allegations, there are indications that some efforts are being made.
Indirect speech
There has been no official confirmation or denial from either side, despite repeated talks and hopes that the talks between the government and the TPLF are ongoing.
The most significant news in this regard was the January 21, 2014 interview with Dr. Debre Tsion Gebremichael, leader of the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), on BBC News.
He said the TPLF was holding indirect talks with the Ethiopian government and that some promising results were being seen in the process.
He further added that the talks were an indirect one through diplomatic talks between the African Union, the United Nations and Kenya.
In addition, more than three weeks after the news broke, no official results were reported.
' Conditions of the TPLF '
In a statement issued late last week on the occasion of the formation of the TPLF, in a situation where it was difficult to obtain clear information on negotiations and mediation, the chairman of the organization made a number of seemingly preconditions.
He said various parties are working to resolve the conflict through negotiations. Representing the African Union, the former Nigerian president, as well as the Kenyan president, said the US and EU delegations were doing their part.
However, in the ongoing peace process, Debre Zion (Dr.) / R) You have made it clear.
The TPLF has stated that it is possible to discuss issues beyond these points, and that if negotiations are to take place, it is expected that similar conditions on the other side will make the talks longer and more complicated.
Negotiation did not take place
On February 15, 2014, the Ethiopian government received a clear response from Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed to the news of the talks and the start of talks by the TPLF leader following the efforts of various parties.
In response to questions from the House of Peoples' Representatives, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed raised a wide range of issues related to negotiations.
Responding, the prime minister made it clear that no talks had been held between the government and the TPLF.
He noted that there had been no talks between the government and the TPLF, but that "there was no need for negotiations".
He also said that the aim of the ongoing war and negotiations is to strengthen Ethiopia, adding that "negotiations will not take place in any way that destroys the country" and "negotiations can take place without compromising the country's sovereignty and existence."
The mediation efforts by various parties to bring about a peaceful end to the war have now failed.
The government, which has long been reluctant to negotiate, seems to have hinted that it wants to negotiate in the interests of the country.
However, the process of reconciling the interests of both parties to the negotiations will inevitably require a great deal of effort and time.
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