War in Tigray: the African Union invites the belligerents to discuss in South Africa

The headquarters of the African Union in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa, February 5, 2020 Paulina Zidi / RFI

Text by: RFI Follow

1 min

Perhaps a hope for peace talks between the Ethiopian government and the Tigray authorities, as fighting has raged since August 24.

The African Union (AU) officially invited the belligerents to talks in South Africa on Saturday 8 October.

A proposal that seems to have been accepted by both parties.

Advertising

Read more

The African Union (AU) proposal was formulated in a letter from the Chairperson of the Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, dated October 1.

This letter invites the federal government of Addis Ababa and the regional government of Tigray to “peace talks” in South Africa starting on 8 October.

Talks, the letter says, "

" by AU mediator, former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, "

" of Kenyan mediator Uhuru Kenyatta and former South African Vice President Phumzile Mlambo- Ngcuka.

The objective is to "

" on the framework within which "

" could be achieved, the letter says.

A careful and very diplomatic wording, therefore.

The two parties seem ready to discuss

The Ethiopian government, through its national security adviser Redwan Hussein, has already "

" the proposal.

As for the Tigrayan party, it has not yet formally responded.

The media belonging to the ruling party in Tigray merely recalled that the authorities in Mekele had said on September 11 that they would participate in the peace process led by the AU and that they had already appointed a team of negotiators to this end.

►Also read: In Ethiopia, at Mekele hospital, "we have no more insulin, diabetics are dying"

Newsletter

Receive all the international news directly in your mailbox

I subscribe

Follow all the international news by downloading the RFI application

• Ethiopia

• African Union