The Ethiopian government says it is ready to start the negotiation with TPLF without any preconditions
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The Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) announced that it has given the Ethiopian government a deadline to fulfil preconditions for negotiation or it will resort to war.
Debretsion Gebremichael, chairman of the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), told the state-owned media in the region that “if the Ethiopian government fails to respond to the TPLF demands and within the timeframe that TPLF gave [unspecified in the report], we will start the fighting.”
Among the preconditions is the withdrawal of forces from what TPLF considers as “parts of Tigray” or western Tigray. It is a reference to Wolqait – a part of Gondar that the TPLF incorporated as part of Tigray after taking central government power in May 1991.
There had been identity questions for well over three decades in the region which the TPLF brutalised. Wolkait regained its identity as Amhara after the TPLF started the war in November 2020 when it attacked the Northern Command of the Ethiopian Defence Forces.
Tigary is part of Ethiopia and the Ethiopian Federal government has a constitutional ground to deploy forces in any part of the country as needed.
The TPLF also demanded the resumption of basic services including banking, phone communication and power in a timeframe that it set – which it has not disclosed – perhaps due to military strategy as it has announced to start war right after the deadline.
On July 12 this year, the Ethiopian government announced that it has reached a deal with the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) to recover the Tigray region.
It is to be financed with $300 million funding from the World Bank (WB) and the agency will undertake the project until the situation in Tigray improves to a point where the Ethiopian government could take over.
There had been some reservations by voices sceptical to the UN organisation that it might actually seize the opportunity to plot with the TPLF against the interest of Ethiopia. The TPLF enjoyed support from western powers, primarily the United States and European Union, after it opened the war.
Regarding the new TPLF ultimatum, the Ethiopian government is stating readiness to start negotiation with TPLF anytime and anywhere.
Redwan Hussien, security advisor to the Prime Minister, on Thursday said in a Twitter message “Myself & Dr.Gedion held a briefing for UN, EU & US Special Envoys and Ambassadors of US, France Italy, Germany & UK. We expressed positions of the Federal government. That:
. Government is ready to talks anytime anywhere;
.talks should begin without preconditions.”
Mr. Redwan’s message came after the ultimatum from the TPLF. It means that the Ethiopian government has not accepted the preconditions for negotiation.
Although the Ethiopian government announced readiness for negotiation “any time and anywhere,” it was the African Union to lead the process. It is another point of difference with the TPLF. For the latter, “it is irresponsible to allow the African Union” to lead the negotiation for it thinks that the continental organisation is close to Ethiopian authorities.
The TPLF demanded that Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta lead the negotiation process.
Meanwhile, VOA Amharic on Thursday reported that negotiation between the Ethiopian government and TPLF could start in early August in Kenya, right after the Kenyan election.
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