Ethiopia Rejects African Union Mediation Efforts, Moves Forward to Mother …

ADDIS ABABA – Government Ethiopia rejected the African Union (UA) proposed mediation. In contrast, Ethiopia says their troops have captured a number of cities on their way to the rebel-held capital in the northern Tigray region.

On Friday, UA appointed former Mozambican presidents Joaquim Chissano, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf of Liberia and Kgalema Motlanthe of South Africa as special envoys to work for a ceasefire and mediation talks.

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, who won the Nobel Peace Prize last year for a peace treaty with Eritrea, said he would arrest the leaders of the TPLF rebel group before dialogue.

“The news circulating that the envoy will travel to Ethiopia to mediate between the Federal Government and the criminal elements of the TPLF is false,” the government tweeted to Ethiopia as quoted from Reuters, Sunday (22/11/2020).

The TPLF is a reference to the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) rebel group that controls the Tigray territory.

Abiy accused the Tigrayan leaders of rebelling against central authorities and attacking federal forces in the city of Dansha. Meanwhile, rebels say Abiy’s government has marginalized and persecuted Tigrayans since taking office two years ago.

Abiy denied this, saying he was only trying to restore law and order and keep Ethiopia and its 115 million residents together.

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