Extremely concerned by the intensification of fighting in Ethiopia, the European Union reiterated on Wednesday 3 November its demand for an end to the violence, calling on all actors to show restraint.
“The situation is very serious. We are alarmed by the state of emergency declared recently. The massive mobilisation from the government will only drag the country and its citizens further into civil war and disintegration”, said European External Action Service spokesman Peter Stano, asked to comment on the situation at midday.
He added: “We continue to call all actors to exercise restraint. All parties have the power to embrace peace. It’s what we, as EU with our partners in African want to see happening”.
On Wednesday, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, concluded that there were possible war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by all parties to the conflict.
A statement by EU High Representative Josep Borrell on behalf of the EU27 was expected on Wednesday evening or Thursday on the sad anniversary of the outbreak of conflict in Tigray a year ago.
Reacting to the state of emergency on Monday 1 November, Borrell said on Twitter: “All parties must stop the fighting in northern Ethiopia, lift the blockade for humanitarian aid and refrain from hate speech”.
The African Union mediator in the Tigray conflict, former Nigerian president “Olusegun Obasanjo is best placed to host ceasefire negotiations without preconditions”, he said. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)