Russia, African Union Call For Urgent Ceasefire In Ethiopia - Russian Foreign Ministry

Russia and the African Union (AU) have called for an urgent ceasefire in Ethiopia, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 23rd November, 2021) Russia and the African Union (AU) have called for an urgent ceasefire in Ethiopia, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday.

"The sides have exchanged opinions on a wide range of topics of common interest related to the situation in the Horn of Africa. The focus of the discussion was on the quick settlement of the military and political crises in Ethiopia. The sides have underlined the need for a reliable ceasefire on both sides of the intra-Ethiopian conflict and the restoration of humanitarian access to the regions affected by the hostilities," the ministry said following a Moscow meeting between Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and AU High Representative for the Horn of Africa Olusegun Obasanjo.

Lavrov and Obasanjo also discussed the situation in Somalia and Sudan, which neighbor Ethiopia. The two diplomats agreed that external interference in the internal affairs of Sudan as a sovereign country is counter-productive.

Earlier in November, the Ethiopian parliament declared a six-month state of emergency throughout the country to protect the population from the rebels of the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), who are advancing toward the country's capital Addis Ababa despite a ceasefire agreement signed in spring.

A number of Western publications have reported that nine Ethiopian opposition factions formed a new alliance at the beginning of the month with the aim of replacing the current government and establish a transitional governing body. The alliance allegedly includes large anti-government forces, including the TPLF and the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA), which Addis Ababa considers terrorist groups. An agreement to form the alliance was reportedly signed in Washington.