Mr. Obasanjo, the AU Envoy in charge, interview with the BBC
During an interview with the BBC, Mr. Obasanjo, the AU Envoy in charge of mediating the conflict in Ethiopia, has indicated that progress has been made, but he did not indicate the details of what has been agreed to by the parties, leaving us to speculate or divine what he really meant to say.
Mr. Obasanjo was in Mekele and Addis Ababa, and it appears that he is trying to bring the Tigray Government and the Abiy government to some kind of a permanent ceasefire before any negotiations about outstanding political issues can be had. Moreover, it looks like Mr. Obasanjo is also attempting to include other parties in Ethiopia to be part of his efforts to bring peace to the country. (There are reports that he held discussions with Jawar Mohammed). So far so good. However, some serious questions remain unanswered.
First of all, the issue of access to humanitarian aid in Tigray is not negotiable. Simply put, blocking aid is a war crime and the Abiy regime has the obligation to make sure that food and medicine reach the people of Tigray without any preconditions. Likewise, the restoration of basic services, such as water, electricity, phone/Internet services, and banking is not something that should be left to the whims of the Abiy regime. - they should be restored forthwith. Secondly, we don’t know how the envoy’s work is coordinated with other states, particularly the US and the EU. We now have a new U.S. Envoy to the Horn, the third such envoy in less than a year. Finally, it is not clear whether the AU Envoy is focused on Tigray alone or is also attempting to call for an all-inclusive dialogue. Time will answer those questions.
For now, my hope is that, before agreeing to a ceasefire, the Tigray Government will be firm in demanding unhindered access to humanitarian assistance, accountability for crimes committed during the war, and the restoration of basic services. In addition, there must be a return to the status quo ante, which means that all territories that have been occupied should be returned to Tigray. Short of that, I cannnot see how one should agree to a ceasefire.
On a final note, it is also my hope that the mediators have a holistic approach in their efforts to bring peace to the country. Trying to deal with the various conflicts in Ethiopia piecemeal is not going to do the job because all tbe conflicts in the country are interrelated.
I still remain optimistic that we will hear good news in the days to come.
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