“They came today, both of them,” said Dina Mufti, a spokeswoman for the Ethiopian Foreign Ministry, referring to the United States Special Envoy to the Horn of Africa, Jeffrey Feltman, and the corresponding envoy from the African Union, Olusegun Obasanjo.
Feltman and Obansanjo both visited Ethiopia earlier in November in an effort to facilitate a peace process between Abiy Ahmed’s government and the Tigray Liberation Front (TPLF).
The situation in Ethiopia is confusing and unpredictable, and the TPLF and the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA) are approaching the capital Addis Ababa.
The Tigray region has been the subject of intense warfare since the Ethiopian government sent in its army in November last year to overthrow the regional authorities that have sprung from the TPLF.
Visited Mekele
Obasanjo visited the Tigray capital Mekele twice on the trip earlier in November, which was seen as progress. The TPLF has repeatedly accused the African Union of being partisan in favor of the government in Addis Ababa.
The special envoy from the Horn of Africa is trying to get facts about the situation and is in shuttle traffic between the various forces in the conflict, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Ethiopia.
– I think he’s investigating. He talks to different partners. After all, he will come up with a proposal. The proposal is not yet obvious, said Dina Mufti at the press conference.
When US Secretary of State Antony Blinken recently visited Kenya, he reiterated the country’s demand for a ceasefire.
Warns
The United States on Thursday warned pilots that planes at Addis Ababa International Airport could be exposed to gunfire and anti-aircraft missiles as the war in Ethiopia approaches the capital.
The airport is one of Africa’s busiest and is the hub for state-owned Ethiopian Airlines.
The TPLF ruled Ethiopia for almost 30 years until Abiy came to power in 2018. If the rebels move into Addis Ababa, experts agree that Abiy’s days are numbered.
(NTB)
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