Conflict in Ethiopia: UN Security Council calls for a ceasefire

The conflict between the Ethiopian government and the rebel group TPLF is coming to a head. The humanitarian situation is disastrous. The UN Security Council calls for an end to violence and the start of a national dialogue.

The UN Security Council has called for an end to the violence in the crisis country Ethiopia. The most powerful UN body demands that the conflicting parties “negotiate a permanent ceasefire and create the conditions for the start of an inclusive Ethiopian national dialogue”.

The 15 councilors expressed deep concern about the escalating violence and the humanitarian situation in the country. “Hate speech and incitement to violence and division” must be avoided. A meeting of the Security Council originally scheduled for Friday has been postponed to next week, probably Monday.

Conflict in the country is worsening

The conflict between the Ethiopian government and the rebel group TPLF had intensified significantly in the past few days. The government announced a state of emergency on Tuesday.

The TPLF, which is in power in the Tigray region, dominated Ethiopia for a good 25 years until Abiy Ahmed came to power in 2018. About a year ago he started trying to oust the TPLF. Many people in Tigray feel that they are not represented by the central government and are demanding more autonomy. Many of the top commanders in the Ethiopian army came from Tigray. Many of them switched sides after the conflict broke out and are now TPLF commanders. The well-trained fighters of the rebel group have practically been on the rise since July.

400,000 people are at risk of starvation

The TPLF is advancing – most recently with rebels from the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA) – from the north. They also took control of a strategically important stretch of highway in the country. According to reports, the militias are trying to cut the supply route from the port in neighboring Djibouti to Addis Ababa. The rebels are less than 400 kilometers from the capital.

The humanitarian situation in the country remains disastrous: twelve months after the start of the conflict, around 400,000 people in the north are now at acute risk of starvation. The United Nations claims that it can deliver only a fraction of the humanitarian aid it needs to those in need. Unlike the USA, the UN has not yet brought certain employees in the region to safety. However, the situation is being reassessed from day to day, said UN spokesman Farhan Haq.

Warning of further escalation

The state of emergency is also worrying human rights organizations: According to Amnesty International, authorities are now allowed to revoke licenses from media and non-governmental organizations that are accused of “supporting terrorism”. Criticism of the new regulation is prohibited according to the decree.

The UN refugee aid warned of a further deterioration in the situation at the expense of the civilian population. Managing Director Peter Ruhenstroth-Bauer warned: “A further escalation of the conflict outside of the global public sphere will exacerbate the humanitarian emergency in the country.”