The UN Secretary-General António Guterres has demanded an immediate restart of peace negotiations, claiming that the “situation in Ethiopia is spiraling out of control.”
He continued, making a strong remark about the 23-month civil war:
Civilians are paying heavy prices. Violence and destruction have reached alarming levels. The social fabric is being ripped apart.
Indiscriminate attacks including in residential areas are killing more innocent people every day, damaging critical infrastructure, and limiting access to vital services.”
The war between the Ethiopian government and the soldiers of Tigray, according to the UN secretary-general, cannot be resolved militarily.
He also demanded that the Eritrean soldiers fighting for the government side leave right away. Since hostilities broke out again in August after a five-month ceasefire, relief deliveries to Tigray have been halted. Unconfirmed reports suggest that government forces have taken the Tigrayan city of Shire while combat continues.