Ethiopia has been pushed into violence since early November when federal troops launched an offensive in the northern region of Tigray, claiming that guerrilla troops had attacked a military base. This follows a long-developing conflict that started with the withdrawal of Tigray's largest party from the federal coalition government 2 years ago.
The European Union has temporarily ceased 88 million euros ($107 million) in budget support for Ethiopia until humanitarian agencies are provided access to those in need of aid in the northern Tigray region.
On Friday, EU High Representative Josep Borrell called on Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed to fulfil the values inherent to the Nobel Peace Prize he was awarded in 2019 by working to end the ongoing conflict in Tigray.
“We receive consistent reports of ethnic-targeted violence, killings, massive looting, rapes, forceful returns of refugees and possible war crimes”, he added.
The top diplomat also called for a calming of tensions with neighbour Sudan and said that the involvement of other countries made the conflict a “direct threat to the stability of the whole region”
He said it was in the “best interest of Ethiopia and the wider region” to permit humanitarian access and to “resume the path towards an inclusive and sustainable peace”.
“Regional experiences are relevant here: Sudan stared into the abyss of civil war two years ago, before the parties to its political dispute stepped back and…
