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Obasanjo echoes US' position on Ethiopia, includes Sudan but ignores Eritrea in the discussions

ADDIS ABABA, NOVEMBER 14, 2021 — The High representative of the Chairperson of the African Union (AU) Commission for the Horn of Africa, Olusegun Obasanjo, released a statement today echoing United States' (US) position that "there is no military solution to the conflict" in Ethiopia and that "battlefield victory cannot guarantee political stability in Ethiopia". He also said "dialogue remains the only reliable and sustainable avenue to peace".

"War represents a failure of politics", said President Obasanjo, as he appealed to the leadership of "all sides to halt their military offensives". "This will allow an opportunity for dialogue to continue to progress. Such talks cannot deliver in an environment of escalated military hostilities", said AU's High representative for Horn of Africa.

The Olusegun Obasanjo's statement is no different to what the US said on October 30, 2021, that "there is no military solution to this conflict, and all parties must begin ceasefire negotiations without preconditions".

Although, Obasanjo said he had talks with many parties on the Ethiopian conflict including with Sudan, a country currently facing its own challenges, he has not said anything about talks with Eritrea, a country involved in the current conflict after Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) launched rockets into its borders without any provocations. Eritrea, on Friday, faced yet another rounds of unilateral sanctions from the US for its involvement in the Ethiopian conflict which Ethiopia also denounced the sanctions as "misplaced" ignoring the main culprit to the conflict, the TPLF.

Although, Obasanjo is
optimistic a peaceful resolution of the conflict can be secured, he said there might be challenges as to the means to achieve this essential objective. He has not, nonetheless, mentioned in the statement what the TPLF had said it wants from the negotiation or the Ethiopian government for that matter.
 
All in all, the idea of negotiating with a group accused of many war crimes and crimes against humanity, frightens many Ethiopians. The will of the Ethiopian people, i.e. the demise of the terrorist group, is one major factor ignored by the AU's High representative for the Horn of Africa.

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