Germany calls for immediate end to hostilities in Ethiopia

BERLIN (AA) - Germany on Thursday called for an immediate cease-fire in Ethiopia amid an escalated fighting between government forces and Tigrayan rebels.

“All parties involved must immediately cease hostilities,” German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said in a statement. “The Tigray People’s Liberation Front and its allies, including the Oromo Liberation Army, must end their offensive without delay."

Maas also called on the Ethiopian government to stop its airstrikes, and refrain from calls to mobilize the population.

“Together with its international partners, Germany will continue to work toward negotiations and a peaceful solution to the conflict,” he stressed.

Maas warned that the human suffering in the Tigray, Amhara and Afar regions has reached catastrophic proportions as a result of the mounting humanitarian emergency.

“Now, more than ever, humanitarian aid workers need unhindered access in order to do their life-saving work,” he said.

Ethiopia declared a state of emergency on Monday, as the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) made military gains in the Amhara region, adjacent to Tigray region.

Last week, the TPLF said it has controlled the strategic cities of Disi and Kombolcha in the northern state of Amhara.

Millions have been internally displaced due to the Tigray conflict according to the UN, which has warned of a humanitarian catastrophe.

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed sent troops into Tigray in November 2020 in response to attacks on army camps by the TPLF.