Human rights organizations complain about war crimes, millions of people are dependent on humanitarian aid. Peace talks are now supposed to end the civil war in the Ethiopian region of Tigray.
The Ethiopian civil war parties started the first formal peace talks almost two years after the fighting began. Representatives of the Ethiopian armed forces and the breakaway region of Tigray met in South Africa, according to the government there. The negotiations are being conducted through the mediation of the African Union.
The first round of talks is scheduled to last until Sunday. They are under the impression of the Ethiopian army's recent gains in territory, supported by Eritrean forces in Tigray. Leading African states, like the US and the European Union, had joined Pope Francis in calling for a ceasefire and the start of peace talks to avert further suffering from civilians. Human rights organizations complain that serious war crimes and ethnic cleansing have taken place on both sides.
The South African government said it hoped for a successful conclusion that would lead to a lasting peace. The fighting that broke out in November 2020 stems from long-standing rivalries between regional powers vying for supremacy in Ethiopia.
The rebels of the People's Liberation Front in Tigray (TPLF) accuse Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed of centralizing power at the expense of Ethiopia's regions. Abiy denies this and in return accuses the TPLF of wanting to regain power in the country. The conflict has spread to the neighboring regions of Afar and Amhara.
The TPLF was the dominant force in the state until Abiy was elected Prime Minister in 2018. Fighting in Africa's second most populous country has displaced millions, thousands of civilians have been killed and parts of Tigray are starving. According to the World Health Organization, around 5.2 million of the more than seven million people in Tigray are dependent on humanitarian aid.
