On Wednesday, the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said that Ethiopia now has an opportunity to resolve the conflict in north Tigray, as he urged the parties to put the hostilities to a halt. 

Earlier in the day, Guterres held a phone conversation with African Union High Representative for the Horn of Africa, Olusegun Obansajo, who has recently visited Mekelle, the capital of Tigray. 

"Mr. Obasanjo briefed me about the efforts being made by the Government of Ethiopia and the Tigray Peoples Liberation Front (TPLF) to move towards a resolution of the violent conflict and expressed optimism that there is now a real opportunity for a political and diplomatic resolution of the conflict," Guterres said in a statement.

The ongoing fighting in some parts of Ethiopia has been standing in the way of peace and security, as the fights undermine confidence-building measures between the parties. He called on the parties to de-escalate the tensions: "Let me reiterate my call on all parties to move rapidly towards cessation of hostilities as a critical step in the right direction for peace-making," Guterres stated.

Furthermore, Guterres expressed his concern about the humanitarian situation in different parts of Ethiopia. He called on all sides in the conflict to speed up efforts to aid people in need. 

Since November 2020, Ethiopia has been experiencing escalating fighting between the government and the Tigrayan forces. 

In December, the TPLF said that it had pulled its troops out of the provinces of Amhara and Afar.

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