The African Union, AU, has invited Ethiopia’s government and rival Tigray forces to peace talks in South Africa this weekend aimed at ending a two-year conflict.
Three diplomatic sources speaking on condition of anonymity confirmed the authenticity of a letter dated Oct. 1, written by AU Commission Chair Moussa Faki to Debretsion Gebremichael, who leads Tigray’s ruling political party according to Reuters reports.
Ethiopia’s government and the leaders of the northern Tigray region have both said they are prepared to participate in AU-mediated talks to end fighting that has killed thousands of civilians and uprooted millions since November 2020.
But no formal talks have taken place, during a five-month ceasefire between March and August, and intense fighting has since resumed across Tigray.
According to Reuters, the letter said Olusegun Obasanjo, the African Union’s High Representative for the Horn of Africa, would lead the negotiations with support from former Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta and former South African deputy president Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka.
Recalls that ALM last month reported that the Tigrayan forces said they were ready for a ceasefire and would accept an AU-led peace process after previously raising objections to AU proposals.
