The Ethiopian government has accused the US and European envoys of visiting rebel leaders in Tigray this week, accusing them of being on the side of the rebels. condemned.
A senior Ethiopian official accused EU and US diplomats of "indulging" rebels in the northern Tigray region after envoys called for restoration of services to the province.
In recent weeks, both the federal government and the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) have said they are ready to negotiate an end to the country's civil war, which began in November 2020.
Federal officials say they are ready to begin negotiations immediately "without any preconditions," but the TPLF expects service to the Tigray to be restored before negotiations begin. claiming that
After visiting Mekele, the capital of Tigray province, on 2 August, the US Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa, Mike Hammer, and his EU counterpart, Annette Weber, announced a humanitarian mission to Tigray province. for the "freedom" of public access and for the "rapid restoration of power, telecommunications, banking and other basic services" in the region.
In response, Redwan Hussein, the Ethiopian Prime Minister's National Security Advisor, said he was "disappointed" by the envoy's position and "failed to force vague commitments to peace talks." "I indulged in appeasement," he said. "To the TPLF.
He also said that the issue of humanitarian access "has been addressed for a long time already."
In recent months there has been a significant increase in the number of relief trucks entering the Tigray, but humanitarian agencies say fuel is fuel. Shortages hinder the distribution of supplies.
In northern Ethiopia, the Tigray conflict has killed tens of thousands and displaced millions more.
At a press conference after the US and EU envoys left Mekelle, TPLF spokesperson Getachew Reda said that his side said, "The only game in town is to talk, because , because an alternative shooting would have disastrous consequences."
However, many issues remain unresolved, such as mediators and meeting venues.
The TPLF wants talks in Nairobi under the auspices of Kenya and the United States, although the government is pushing forward with a process mediated by the African Union.
