Ethiopia urges diaspora to resist ‘undue external pressures’

ADDIS ABABA – The Ethiopian government has urged its citizens in the diaspora to continue their support for end to the country’s conflict and to also resist what it calls ‘undue external’ pressure against the Ethiopian government, amid speculations that the government is about to engage rebels for ceasefire talks.

The call was made by the Ethiopian deputy prime minister Demeke Hasen who met a group of Ethiopians from the United States on Thursday. The Ethiopia has seen criticisms from the United States over allegations that it is hindering humanitarian access to the northern Tigray region.

“Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister] H.E @DemekeHasen called on Ethiopians in the Diaspora to continue supporting peace and [development] efforts in the country besides resisting undue external pressures,” he told the visiting group of Ethiopians known as Peace and Unity Taskforce.

Ethiopia plunged into a deadly conflict in November 2020 when armed elements belonging to the rebellious Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) led by former Tigray President Debretsion Gebremichael attacked a federal army base in Tigray sparking forceful respond from Addis Ababa.

The conflict has gone on for around 15 months without significant signs of peaceful engagement between the belligerents, but last week, TPLF chief Debretsion told a BBC program that his group was in informal talks with the government of Prime Minister Dr. Abiy Ahmed in a bid to formalize ceasefire talks.

But the Ethiopian rebel leader said there were certain preconditions, including the withdrawal of foreign troops from the country, to be met before any meaningful engagement is started, but a senior Ethiopian official said the TPLF had tabled secret demands including removal of senior army officers such as the army chief.

However, a senior TPLF diplomat told Sudans Post in the US yesterday that his group has decided to go to the ceasefire talk with the government even without the preconditions they have put forth because they believe that the talk itself will be a forum in which they rebel group will present its demands to the Ethiopian government without a mediator.

“The leadership of the TPLF has agreed – in principles – to go for ceasefire talk with the government of Abiy Ahmed even if the preconditions made by our leadership are not met because the talk may be a forum for a way to remove these foreign forces in our country,” he added.

“So, we will go to negotiate with the federal government by ourselves without a mediator in this ceasefire talk and we will try to present our demands for a full peace talks. If they are ready to end this senseless conflict, then they will accept to remove the foreign forces and create a demilitarized zone in the meantime,” he added.