The UN chief is ‘deeply concerned’ by the return of fighting in northern Ethiopia, and warned against an escalation

In a statement issued on Friday evening in New York by his spokesman, Stéphane Dujarric, the UN Secretary General urged all parties to cease hostilities and called on the signatories of the Pretoria Agreement to return to dialogue based on the framework of the agreement.

The 2022 agreement ends the civil war in Tigray.

Risk of destabilization

Guterres said fighting in the Tigray, Afar and Amhara regions risked escalating, further destabilizing the wider region.

He reminded all states in the region of their Charter obligations to “refrain from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of a state”, and the principle of non-intervention in internal affairs.

He also appealed to countries that have influence over the parties to the conflict to use it to support de-escalation, and avoid any actions that could trigger conflict.

The Secretary General said he was ready to offer his good services.

Many have been uprooted, aid has been withheld

The UN’s humanitarian affairs chief, Tom Fletcher, earlier this week called on all parties to provide aid workers with safe and rapid access to people in need.

UN teams are still working to deliver food, health services and other life-saving aid, but ongoing hostilities have displaced many people in central, northwestern and eastern Tigray. Verified figures are not yet available.

The UN and its partners are ready to resume aid operations in the northern region, including Tigray, as soon as safe access is possible.

In Amhara, government-led efforts to help refugees return from the city of Kobo to their home areas stalled after security there deteriorated.

The UN emphasizes that any return must be carried out safely, voluntarily and with dignity.

Fears of a wider regional war

According to media reports, Ethiopia accused neighboring Eritrea of ​​carrying out an “all-out invasion” of Tigray and warned that it would defend itself.

In his letter to Security Council reported by the news agency, the Ethiopian Foreign Minister said Eritrean troops had advanced up to 60 kilometers into the region.

Eritrea rejected the claims, and its information minister said the country faced an “unprovoked war of aggression”.

They denied Ethiopian accusations that they supported the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), which controls the region, and accused Addis Ababa of seeking regime change in Asmara.

In soil

News reports said an Ethiopian drone strike hit Eritrean troops in the town of Adigrat in Tigray this week. There have been no verified reports of casualties.

Fighting between Ethiopian government forces and the TPLF broke out about two weeks ago, with each side blaming the other for violating the 2022 agreement.

Media reports said TPLF forces withdrew from the region’s capital, Mekelle, last week, and the city is now under military control.