TPLF leader meets AU envoy in a first amid ‘hopes’ for dialogue

GOOBJOOG NEWS|MEKELLE: African Union Special Envoy for the Horn of African Olusegun Obasanjo Sunday held talks with TPLF president Debretsion Gebremichael in a move seen to pave way for dialogue even as the two warring sides in the year-long war stand ground.

TPLF presidential spokesman Getachew Reda said in a tweet the two leaders had ‘very fruitful’ discussions adding that the TPLF leader also briefed Obasanjo on the group’s stand in the ‘ongoing crisis in Ethiopia’.

The meeting which is the first contact between the TPLF leadership and foreign officials came on the same day demonstrators in support of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed took to the streets of Addis Ababa. Some were chanting against the U.S which has strongly called for an end to the fighting and accused Ethiopia of ‘grosss’ human rights violations.

The substance of the talks was not however immediately clear.

Reuters reported that U.N. aid chief Martin Griffiths and Obasanjo had travelled to Mekelle which has been under TPLF control since June.

PM Ahmed last week urged Ethiopians to take up arms to fend off TPLF march towards the capital Addis Ababa while the national army called on former soldiers to come back from retirement as TPLF announced it was about 200 miles away from Addis Ababa.