The German Government is deeply disappointed that the five-month ceasefire in northern Ethiopia has been breached and that fighting has resumed. The parties to the conflict must lay down their weapons now and return to the ceasefire immediately.

The conflict can only be resolved at the negotiating table. The German Government continues to support the mediation efforts of the African Union, which must now be stepped up. The people in Tigray, Amhara and Afar have suffered enough. Too many innocent civilians, including women and children, have already lost their lives or have been the victims of serious human rights violations.

Since the start of the conflict, moreover, hundreds of thousands of people have been forced to leave their homes and millions are suffering from hunger. Against this background, it is especially abhorrent that the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) has seized fuel urgently needed to distribute life-saving humanitarian assistance.