UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday expressed grave concern about the current situation in Ethiopia’s Tigray region, where government troops have been fighting a rebel group, said his spokesman.
“He feels that it is essential to quickly restore the rule of law, in full respect for human rights, promote social cohesion, an inclusive reconciliation, as well as to re-establish the delivery of public services and guarantee unfettered humanitarian access,” said Stephane Dujarric, the spokesman, in a statement.
The United Nations remains totally committed to supporting the African Union initiative. It also remains fully committed to mobilizing the full capacity of the United Nations to provide humanitarian support to refugees, displaced people and all populations in distress, said the statement.
The secretary-general has also been conveying these messages in the numerous conversations he has had with UN representatives on the ground and regional leaders, as well as Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed with whom the secretary-general spoke on Monday, it said.
Since the early hours of Nov. 4, the Ethiopian government has been undertaking military operations against the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), which rules Ethiopia’s northernmost Tigray state.
Prior to the ongoing fighting, the Ethiopian government had been blaming the TPLF for masterminding various treasonous acts across different parts of the country with an overarching goal of destabilizing the country.
