The authorities of the Tigray region, located in the far north of Ethiopia, announced that “the Tigray government is ready to participate in a vigorous peace process under the auspices of the African Union”, stressing that “we are ready to comply with an immediate and mutual cessation of hostilities in order to create a favorable atmosphere.”

The announcement came in the midst of an international diplomatic effort following the resumption of hostilities last month for the first time in months aimed at disrupting a humanitarian truce in northern Ethiopia.

Earlier this month, the leader of the Tigray People’s Liberation Front, Debreción Gebremichael, in a letter to United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, proposed a truce that would provide “unrestricted humanitarian access” and the restoration of basic services to the Tigray region, which is suffering from severe food and electricity shortages, and as well as interruptions in communication and termination of banking services.