After several months of relative calm, fighting restarted in August between Ethiopia and Tigray. But the Tigrayan leadership stated on Sunday that it is willing to join in an African Union-led peace process.
Why this matter
Tigrayan leaders have previously opposed an AU-led mediation, instead preferring outgoing Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta to head the negotiations.
On Sunday, the rebels stated that they were ready for a truce and would accept an African Union-led peace process, clearing the way for talks with the Addis Ababa government to end nearly two years of conflict.
The statement came after a frenzy of foreign diplomacy when combat erupted in northern Ethiopia for the first time in several months in August, breaking a humanitarian truce.
Going forward
The African Union has welcomed Tigrayan rebels in northern Ethiopia’s assertion that they are eager to participate in peace talks.
Moussa Faki Mahamat, the head of the African Union Commission, said it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to end the conflict and encouraged the rebels and the government in Addis Ababa to execute an immediate ceasefire.
The Ethiopian government has not responded directly, but it has previously stated that it is ready for unconditional discussions “anytime, anyplace,” mediated by the AU in Addis Ababa.