Ethiopia belligerents accept AU-led peace talks

APA-Addis Ababa The warring sides to the conflict in Ethiopia have announced their acceptance of an African Union- led peace initiative that is scheduled to take place in South Africa this weekend. The government of Ethiopia Thursday stated that talks should only be mediated by the African Union and should be held without any preconditions.

APA-Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) The warring sides to the conflict in Ethiopia have announced their acceptance of an African Union-led peace initiative that is scheduled to take place in South Africa this weekend.

The AU recently invited the warring forces namely the Ethiopian government the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) for peace talks to begin and have announced both for the date and venue.

The government of Ethiopia Thursday stated that talks should only be mediated by the African Union and should be held without any preconditions.

There were reports that the peace talk would take place in neighboring Kenya. It is unclear why the African Union picked South Africa.

It is also known at this point that the African Union special envoy to the Horn of Africa, former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, will be leading the peace talk.

Former Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta and Phumzile Mlambo-Ngeuka, former deputy president of South Africa who had also served as a United Nations official, are part of the talk on behalf of the African Union.

Ethiopia’s Ministry for Government Communication Service said “…The African Union’s official invitation is consistent with the Ethiopian Government’s prior positions. It is known that the Government of Ethiopia has expressed that, talks should only be meditated by the African Union and should be held without any pre-conditions…”

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s security advisor, Redwan Hussien, conveyed a similar message, as expected. He tweeted: “The GoE has accepted this invitation which is inline with our principled position regarding the peaceful resolution of the conflict and the need to have talks without preconditions.”

The TPLF on Thursday announced that it has accepted the peace proposal. In a letter addressed to the African Union chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat, leader of the TPLF, Debrestion Gebremichal said.

The government of Tigray is ready to participate in the proposed peace talk in South Africa, he said.

However, Geberemichael cited that his organization was not consulted about it and asked for clarification if there are other parties to be involved as mediators, observers and guarantors. He also asked what the role of the “international community” would be in the peace talk.