Leaders Call for Ceasefire as Conflict Spreads in Ethiopia

Leaders Call for Ceasefire as Conflict Spreads in Ethiopia

African and Western nations on Thursday called for an immediate¹ ceasefire in Ethiopia. Tigrayan forces from the country's north have been nearing the capital this week.

The U.S. special envoy² for the Horn of Africa, Jeffrey Feltman, arrived in the capital, Addis Ababa. He asked for a halt to military operations and a start to ceasefire talks. African Union Commission Chair Moussa Faki Mahamat said he met Feltman to discuss efforts toward talks and political solutions.

The U.S. Embassy in Addis Ababa approved requests by some employees and family members to leave the country because of the worsening hostilities³.

The European Union and the East African partnership⁴ of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) joined those calling for a ceasefire. IGAD urged both sides to show restraint, cool tensions and work out their differences through discussion. The two sides are the central government and the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) and its allies.

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni called for an IGAD meeting on November 16 to discuss the conflict.

Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta issued a statement on Wednesday saying, "The fighting must stop!" He called on the two sides "to put down their arms and to cease the fighting, to talk, and to find a path to sustainable peace."

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he spoke⁵ to Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed on Wednesday "to offer my good offices to create the conditions for a dialogue so the fighting stops".

Addis Ababa police spokesperson Fasika Fanta said on Thursday that police had arrested "many people" since the government declared a state of emergency on Tuesday. Locals told Reuters on Wednesday that many Tigrayans had been arrested.

But Fasika said arrests were not based on ethnicity. "We are only arresting those who are directly or indirectly⁶ supporting the illegal terrorist group," he said. "This includes moral, financial and propaganda support."

Preparing to defend

Fasika also said many people were registering weapons at police stations around the city. The government asked people on Tuesday to prepare to defend their areas. "Some are even coming with bombs and heavy weapons. We are registering those too," he said.

Streets and stores in Addis Ababa were busy as usual on Thursday morning, though some locals said there was a feeling of uneasy calm.

"There are rumors⁸ about the approach of the rebels. People debate about the conflict, most of the people accuse the government for what happened," one man in the capital said.

Abiy's government declared the state of emergency on Tuesday as the Tigrayan forces threatened to push forward to Addis Ababa. TPLF spokesman Getachew Reda said on Wednesday that the Tigrayan troops were in the town of Kemise in Amhara state, 325 kilometers from the capital.

Words in This Story

sustainable – adj. able to last or continue for a long time

dialogue – n. a discussion or series of discussions that two groups or countries have in order to end a disagreement

rumor⁷ – n. information or a story that is passed from person to person but has not been proven to be true

1 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

2 envoy   

n.使节，使者，代表，公使

参考例句：

• Their envoy showed no sign of responding to our proposals.他们的代表对我方的提议毫无回应的迹象。
• The government has not yet appointed an envoy to the area.政府尚未向这一地区派过外交官。

3 hostilities   

n.战争；敌意(hostility的复数)；敌对状态；战事

参考例句：

• Mexico called for an immediate cessation of hostilities. 墨西哥要求立即停止敌对行动。
• All the old hostilities resurfaced when they met again. 他们再次碰面时，过去的种种敌意又都冒了出来。

4 partnership   

n.合作关系，伙伴关系

参考例句：

• The company has gone into partnership with Swiss Bank Corporation.这家公司已经和瑞士银行公司建立合作关系。
• Martin has taken him into general partnership in his company.马丁已让他成为公司的普通合伙人。

5 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

6 indirectly   

adv.间接地，不直接了当地

参考例句：

• I heard the news indirectly.这消息我是间接听来的。
• They were approached indirectly through an intermediary.通过一位中间人，他们进行了间接接触。

7 rumor   

n.谣言，谣传，传说

参考例句：

• The rumor has been traced back to a bad man.那谣言经追查是个坏人造的。
• The rumor has taken air.谣言流传开了。

8 rumors   

n.传闻( rumor的名词复数 )；[古]名誉；咕哝；[古]喧嚷v.传闻( rumor的第三人称单数 )；[古]名誉；咕哝；[古]喧嚷

参考例句：

• Rumors have it that the school was burned down. 有谣言说学校给烧掉了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Rumors of a revolt were afloat. 叛变的谣言四起。 来自《简明英汉词典》