World

Ethiopia PM must end war: Nobel committee

By AAP Newswire

Jan 14, 2022

The awarding institution of the Nobel Peace Prize has called on Ethiopian laureate Abiy Ahmed to put an end to the armed conflict in the Tigray region.

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"As prime minister and a recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize, Abiy Ahmed has a special responsibility to end the conflict and help bring peace," Norwegian Nobel Committee Chair Berit Reiss-Andersen said in a statement on the situation in Ethiopia on Thursday.

The committee rarely issues such public statements.

Abiy was awarded the prestigious Nobel Peace Prize in 2019.

He was honoured primarily for his initiative to resolve his country's years-long conflict with neighbouring Eritrea.

The Nobel Committee on Thursday emphasised that the humanitarian situation in Ethiopia was extremely serious.

It was unacceptable that large amounts of humanitarian aid were not reaching those in need.

The military conflict in the northern Ethiopian region of Tigray began in late 2020.

Abiy had started to oust the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), which was in power in the region.

The TPLF dominated Ethiopia for more than 25 years before Abiy came to power in 2018.

Many people in Tigray feel disenfranchised by the central government and demand more autonomy.

The east African multi-ethnic country of Ethiopia, with its almost 115 million inhabitants, was long considered an anchor of stability in the region but is threatening to disintegrate as a result of the fighting.