The planned peace talks between the Ethiopian government and rebel groups in the Tigray region of Ethiopia have been postponed indefinitely, APA can report.
The peace talks were expected to take place on Sunday October 9th in Pretoria, South Africa.
APA learned that the peace talks were postponed after former Kenyan president Uhuru Kenyata withdrew as a mediator in a letter to the chairperson of the African Union Commission Moussa Faki Mahamat.
According to diplomatic sources, the peace talks were postponed after “Tigray forces” responded late due to logistics.
The Ethiopian government earlier in the week announced that it has accepted the African Union’s invitation to talks that were meant to take place over the weekend as long as there are no precondition and that it is the African Union that is leading the initiative.
It also announced that the Ethiopian government will not stop the measures it is taking against the rebel groups although it expressed readiness for peace talks.
On its part, the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) accepted the AU invitation for the peace talk. However, Debretsion Gebremichael, chairman of the organization, requested clarification about logistics for TPLF representatives and security guarantee negotiators.
The African Union on Thursday commended the Ethiopian government and the rebel forces in the Tigray region for their “commitment” to the peace talk.
MG/as/APA