The Ethiopian government, which has said it wants to quickly start talks for a ceasefire with the rebel authorities in the Tigray region, accused the latter on Thursday August 18 of bias to camouflage their refusal to negotiate peace.
In armed conflict since November 2020, the federal government and the rebels of the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) have said they have been ready to negotiate for several weeks but no discussion has started, the two parties diverging on several terms.
"Peaceful Resolution"
The government "
continues to call for a peaceful resolution at this time although there is not the slightest hint of interest in peace on the part of the TPLF
", spokesperson Billene Seyoum told reporters. of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.
"
If the TPLF genuinely cares about the welfare of Ethiopians in the Tigray region, ... they should sit down to negotiate instead of making excuses to avoid peace
," she stressed.
Read alsoEthiopia: Tigray rebels in turn commit to a ceasefire
“
The question of restoring services (in Tigray) comes up again and again, as if there were a centralized on/off button
,” she denounced.
While the federal government refuses any precondition for negotiations, the rebels first demand the restoration of essential services (electricity, telecoms, banks, etc.) including Tigray - of which they regained control of most of the territory in 2021 - has been private for over a year.
Threats and aggression
On Wednesday, the government committee in charge of future negotiations proposed "
the holding of peace talks over the next few weeks with a view to a mutually accepted ceasefire
", explained Billene Seyoum on Thursday, denouncing "
threats and 'continuous aggressiveness
' of the Tigrayan rebels.
“
What we are saying is that the people of Tigray, those of the neighboring Amhara and Afar regions can no longer afford another conflict, so this commitment to a ceasefire must take place immediately.
", did she say.
She assured that the restoration of essential services in Tigray was not conditioned by this ceasefire agreement: "
These are two separate issues
".
But, she added, "
for essential services to resume, we say an enabling environment must be created that keeps federal service providers safe and allows them to work freely
."
Read alsoEthiopia: Abiy evokes for the first time possible negotiations with the rebels of Tigray
“
At the moment, with a verbally aggressive illegal armed group acting on its whim and refusing to agree to peace talks, that necessary supportive and secure environment is lacking
,” she said.
"
A simple piece of paper (...) does not really provide the necessary guarantees
", she explained, referring to a letter from the rebels recently delivered to diplomats, guaranteeing the safety of those who would come to restore services to the country. Tiger.