Ethiopian Diplomat Says Any Talks With Rebels Possible Only After Disarmament - UrduPoint

Before talking about negotiations with the government of Ethiopia, the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) should disarm, demobilize and turn over those responsible for crimes to face justice, Ethiopian Ambassador to the United States Fitsum Arega told Sputnik.

"The TPLF must completely disarm. We will not let negotiations provide an opportunity for the TPLF to rearm, reorganize and continue their military operations. Demobilization is essential because the people of Tigray who have largely been forced into the conflict because of a few criminal TPLF leaders need to get back to their lives and their families," he said.

The diplomat added that any peace negotiations must include the people of Tigray.

"We do not believe the TPLF in any way represents the people of Tigray. It represents a small clique of individuals who have commoditized the people of Tigray. Any such talks will have to be inclusive of all segments of Tigray society," he stated.

When further questioned if he thought peace talks could actually happen, the ambassador said, "The TPLF has publicly stated numerous times that they are not interested in peace talks, only military victory. The TPLF has no credibility. The government must continue to defend the people and country regardless of the price to be paid".

Northern Ethiopia has been engulfed by an internal conflict since November of last year, when the central government accused the TPLF of attacking a military base and launched a counter-operation in Tigray. Earlier this month, the country declared a six-month state of emergency nationwide as TPLF rebels threatened to advance on the capital of Addis Ababa.