Addis ababa: UN Secretary-General Ant³nio Guterres has backed former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo’s renewed peace initiative in Ethiopia amid rising security tensions in the northern part of the country. Guterres urged all parties to support Obasanjo’s consultations and use the initiative to resolve outstanding differences threatening Ethiopia’s fragile peace.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, UN Spokesperson St©phane Dujarric disclosed Guterres’ support while briefing UN correspondents at the UN Headquarters in New York. Dujarric stated the UN chief was concerned about recent reports of security incidents and heightened tensions in northern Ethiopia, emphasizing the need for restraint and preservation of gains recorded since the cessation of large-scale hostilities.
Guterres particularly welcomed the renewed diplomatic intervention of Obasanjo, the African Union’s High Representative for the Horn of Africa. The initiative includes consultations undertaken by Obasanjo in Addis Ababa and Ethiopia’s northern Tigray region, which Guterres considers an opportunity to reinvigorate dialogue and resolve issues still outstanding under the peace process.
Obasanjo played a central role in negotiating the landmark peace agreement that ended two years of devastating conflict between Ethiopia’s federal government and Tigrayan forces. The Permanent Cessation of Hostilities Agreement, signed in Pretoria on November 2, 2022, provided for a permanent cessation of hostilities, restoration of constitutional order, humanitarian access, disarmament, and the restoration of federal authority and essential services.
The renewed consultations come amid concerns that unresolved political and security questions could undermine progress made since the Pretoria agreement. Guterres warned parties against inflammatory actions or statements capable of deepening mistrust or triggering renewed confrontation, urging all to recommit fully to the comprehensive implementation of the agreement.
The latest intervention underscores international concern about preserving stability in Tigray and preventing northern Ethiopia from sliding back into armed conflict. Obasanjo’s renewed role is significant due to his involvement in securing the original agreement and the relationships built with Ethiopian parties during negotiations. His consultations reinforce the principle of African-led conflict resolution, with the AU continuing to take the lead in safeguarding an agreement it helped negotiate.
The UN emphasized that preserving calm and supporting Obasanjo’s diplomatic engagement offers the parties an opportunity to prevent deterioration and consolidate the peace.