East African countries call for immediate cessation of hostilities in northern Ethiopia

ADDIS ABABA, Aug. 25 (Xinhua) -- The Intergovernmental Authority on Development, a bloc of eight East African countries, on Wednesday evening called on warring parties in northern Ethiopia to adhere to an immediate cessation of hostilities.

In a press statement, the bloc's Executive Secretary Workneh Gebeyehu said he was profoundly concerned at reports of hostilities on the border of Ethiopia's northern Tigray region and called on warring parties to prioritize dialogue.

"The executive secretary calls on all sides involved to immediately refrain from hostilities and escalation and recommit to dialogue to find sustainable peace in the best interest of the people of Ethiopia and the entire region," the statement said.

Earlier on Wednesday, the Ethiopian government accused the rebel Tigray People's Liberation Front of resuming fighting.

In a statement, the Ethiopian government's communications service said the rebel group started fresh attacks on different positions on the eastern front early Wednesday morning, particularly in Bisober, Zobil and Tekulesh.

In response, the group accused the federal government of starting the attack on its forces.

Humanitarian aid flow only resumed recently to the Tigray region after the federal government and rebel forces agreed to a conditional cessation of hostilities in March.

Ethiopia, Africa's second most populous nation, has seen a devastating conflict between government-allied troops and forces loyal to the rebel group since November 2020, which has left millions in urgent need of humanitarian assistance.