Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has rejected new pressure from the United States to halt the deadly fighting between his forces and troops loyal to the regional Tigray People Liberation Front (TPLF) in the north of the country.
In a statement on Wednesday Abiy said his country will handle the conflict on its own as some rights groups warned of possible war crimes to Mekele city where TPLF forces are concentrated.
The 72-hour ultimatum issued by the Ethiopian Prime Minister for the TPLF to surrender expired on Wednesday and about 100 TPLF troops reportedly surrendered.
“We respectfully urge the international community to refrain from any unwelcome and unlawful acts of interference,” the statement from Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s office said as government forces encircled the Tigray capital, Mekele, with tanks. “The international community should stand by until the government of Ethiopia submits its requests for assistance to the community of nations” the PM’s statement said.
A statement from the US National Security Council indicated that Washington is backing the African Union initiative to send special envoys to Addis Ababa to broker a truce.
“The United States calls for mediation in Ethiopia and supports the efforts led by (South African) President Cyril Ramaphosa and the African Union to end this tragic conflict now,” the Council said.
The statement signaled renewed pressure from the US, which had last week said it would focus more on peace than mediation, as both parties had hardened their stances to carry on with the fighting.
“While we appreciate and understand the interest of the international community to assist in the ongoing law enforcement operations, we would also like to underscore that this must be done in accordance with international law. This, first and foremost, means the international community should stand by until the Government of Ethiopia submits its requests for assistance to the community of nations,” the statement added.
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MG/as/APA