Since the conflict began nearly two years ago, the two sides of the Ethiopian civil war have begun formal peace negotiations for the first time.
The talks facilitated by the African Union are currently taking place in South Africa, where a spokesperson for the president confirmed the news.
The fighting in and around the northern Tigray region of Ethiopia is believed to have killed tens of thousands.
In addition, it has created a humanitarian emergency.
Both the federal government and Tigrayan forces have been accused of committing war crimes and committing atrocities.
There are few specifics regarding the status of the negotiations and the agenda.
The talks were “convened to find a peaceful and sustainable solution to the devastating conflict in the Tigray region” and will conclude on Sunday, according to President Cyril Ramaphosa’s spokesperson, Vincent Magwenya.
The African Union, the United Nations, and the United States have been urging the Ethiopian government to sit down with its Tigrayan opponents for months.
It was feared that the recent resurgence of heavy fighting would exacerbate the already dire situation for civilians.
A virtual blockade of Tigray has left millions in need of food aid and contributed to an increase in malnutrition-related deaths.
Since June 2021, the Ethiopian government has denied journalists access to Tigray. Due to the lack of communication in the region, it has been difficult to report on the conflict and humanitarian crisis.
Federal Ethiopian forces attempted to wrest control of the region from the Tigray People’s Liberation Front in November 2020. (TPLF). The blockade began last year when the TPLF launched a counteroffensive and recaptured a large portion of Tigray.
The recent escalation in fighting, which ended a five-month humanitarian truce, has resulted in the capture of key towns in Tigray by federal government forces.
