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Ethiopia’s threat of civil war ‘is a reality’: UN | Conflict Issues

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United Nations political analyst Rosemary DiCarlo says Ethiopia’s threat of “civil war is real”, adding that the political consequences of “an increase in violence in the region could be significant, adding to Horn’s many problems.” of Africa “. .

Speaking at the Security Council on Monday, the UN Secretary-General for Politics and Peace said, “While there are many concerns about the Ethiopian crisis in the coming weeks,” in a country of more than 110 million people, more than 90 nations. Groups and 80 languages , no one can know what the continuation of the fight against insecurity will bring “.

He added that more than 7 million people need humanitarian assistance in northern Ethiopia alone, while about 400,000 people in Tigray are living in famine-stricken conditions.

He also said that although some emergency equipment has been moved, it has been four months since it was sent to Tigray with a population of about 6 million.

A United Nations official has said a report by the Joint Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights or the OHCHR-Ethiopian Human Rights Commission investigating a Tigray dispute released last week highlighted the serious suffering of civilians.

The report said that there was good reason to believe that all those fighting in the war – including the Ethiopian National Defense Force, the Eritrean Defense Force, the Amhara Special Forces and allied forces with Tigrayan forces on the other – had violated international human rights. , humanitarian and refugee laws. It also said that violence and human rights abuses could also occur.

DiCarlo called for an immediate end to the violence, as summoned by the UN secretary-general, the chair of the African Union Commission, the secretary-general of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), the President of Kenya Uhuru Kenyatta, and the UN Security Council.

He stated: “Ethiopia, the founding member of the United Nations, needs our support. We urge the people of Ethiopia to come together to create a better and better future before it is too late. ”

Reports of new attacks

The Ethiopian government’s conflict with the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) began last year and has escalated in recent days, and an emergency has been announced last week and residents of the city have been told to be prepared to take up arms to protect their homes. .

Thousands of people have been killed and more than two million have been displaced since last November, when Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed launched a war against the TPLF, which has long ousted Tigray and was a key figure in Ethiopian politics.

Disagreements began to escalate when Abiy came to power in 2018 and sought to reduce his influence.

Since the beginning of August, the conflict has spread from Tigray to neighboring Afar and Amhara. Together with the rebels of the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA), the TPLF has threatened to march on the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa.

Thousands of people have joined a rally in Addis Ababa in support of the Abiy-led government.

The call for peace comes as new terrorist killings and military conspiracies begin against the Tigrayan tribes in the area now controlled by Amhara officials in collaboration with neighboring Eritrean troops, people fleeing across the border into Sudan told The Associated Press. media organization.

The AU ambassador wants all people to take action

Meanwhile, African Union representative to the Horn of Africa Olusegun Obasanjo said the situation in northern Ethiopia had continued to worsen in recent weeks, which had worsened.

Obasanjo, who is currently in Ethiopia, said he had been working with all stakeholders, including the prime minister and Ethiopian president, to address the issue.

Obasanjo said it was time for him to take action to find lasting solutions to avoid overcrowding that could directly affect the security situation of the entire Horn of Africa region.

He urged the Commission to focus on encouraging and encouraging the Federal Government of Ethiopia and the Tigray militants to engage in political dialogue without any formality.

On Monday, the U.S. State Department said Washington believes there is a small window to work with the African Union to continue its efforts to resolve conflicts peacefully.

U.S. Special Envoy Jeffrey Feltman visited Addis Ababa on Monday as part of a series of efforts to resolve the conflict.



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