The rebel forces of Tigray in northern Ethiopia have requested assistance from the world community to protect themselves or to compel an immediate truce between them and the Ethiopian government, according to a tweet from the group.
The Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) urged the international community to “compel the Eritrean army to withdraw from Tigray” and “press the Ethiopian government to come to the negotiating table”
The Ethiopian government’s ally Eritrea has been supporting its neighbor in the conflict with the rebel groups.
If nothing was done, the TPLF said, it would be compelled to continue the fight.
If the Ethiopian government were forced to engage in peace talks, it declared that it was prepared to recognize “an immediate cessation of hostilities”
Earlier, amid resurging combat in the north, the African Union (AU) demanded a quick and unconditional ceasefire between the group and Ethiopian soldiers.
As fierce violence rages on in the Tigray region, the Ethiopian government has not responded to either the TPLF or the AU’s claims.
