Int'l Community Asked to Push for Ceasefire by Making Terrorist TPLF Abide By It

Addis Ababa, July 9/2021(ENA) The international community should push for the realization of the humanitarian ceasefire in Tigray region by making the other side to abide by it, according to Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA).

In his bi-weekly press briefing, MoFA Spokesperson Dina Mufti said the government cannot force organizations to continue giving services such as flights, banking, and telecommunications unless the  terrorist element in the region is forced to accept the ceasefire.

He stressed that the other party has to stop belligerence for that to happen.

“Even if the government has declared a unilateral ceasefire, there are no signals from the other side on holding the ceasefire,” the spokesperson noted.

Noting that the government declared the ceasefire to save innocents who were used by the TPLF criminal members as human shields, Dina underlined what the government guarantees at this time is to make sure that all the humanitarian supports are safely delivered by  humanitarian actors to the borders of Tigray region.

As the humanitarian operation has continued, there will be flight from Addis Ababa on the way to Mekelle and Shire to supply, he stated.

“What is happening in that region is the relief operation will continue and there will be a flight from Addis Ababa on the way to Mekelle and Shire to supply. Of course the flight will depart from Addis. All international flights are supposed to land at Bole International Airport and depart to those destinations in Tigray,” Dina elaborated.

Furthermore, the spokesperson appreciated UN Security Council’s decision on Thursday for  bringing back the trilateral negotiation back to AU laying encouraging deliberations on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD).

“The decision is a big diplomatic victory as we are always faithful for the AU-led tripartite GERD negotiation. Ethiopia is always committed to it and we have been urging our brothers and sisters in Egypt and Sudan to come to AU-led solution since theNile River is an African river.”

Speaking about the country's citizen-centered diplomacy, he said Ethiopia has repatriated about 17, 123 Ethiopians this week alone from Saudi Arabia.