Türkiye concerned over return of Ethiopia conflict, urges talks

The Turkish Foreign Ministry has voiced concerns over the return of the conflict in Ethiopia despite an indefinite humanitarian ceasefire.

"We invite the parties to return to dialogue for the permanent end of violence in the country and the establishment of peace and stability," the ministry said in a statement on Thursday.

It added that Türkiye will continue to support efforts to preserve peace, tranquility and stability in Ethiopia.

The statement came after both the Ethiopian government and Tigray rebels confirmed a humanitarian truce had been broken following military escalation.

The Ethiopian army and the forces of the Tigray People’s Liberation Front traded blame as to which side violated the ceasefire that was reached in March, in areas along the administrative border between Amhara and Tigray regional states.

READ MORE: Ethiopia's government, rebels trade blame over renewed clashes in Tigray

'Humanitarian disaster'

The government has expressed readiness to engage in talks with the rebels in the past several months without any preconditions as long as they are held under the sole mediation of the African Union.

But the Tigray rebels rejected the African Union as a mediator, recommending that talks be held with Kenya’s outgoing President Uhuru Kenyatta in that role.

Thousands of people, most of them civilians, have been killed and millions displaced since the conflict began in November 2020.

The UN has warned that Tigray “stands on the edge of a humanitarian disaster,” with more than 40 percent of the region’s estimated 6 million people in need of emergency assistance.

It also said that more than 5 million people were internally displaced in Afar and Amhara regional states where Tigrayan rebels made military incursions a year ago, inflicting huge humanitarian and property damage.

READ MORE: Ethiopian government calls for formal ceasefire with Tigray rebels