Diplomats say African Union-sponsored peace talks planned for this weekend between Ethiopia’s federal government and Tigrayan rebels have been delayed due to logistical problems.
AU Commission Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat invited the leaders of the warring parties to attend a summit in South Africa, according to a leaked letter.
The talks were due to be mediated by AU special envoy Olusegun Obasanjo, alongside former South African deputy president Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka and former Kenyan president Uhuru Kenyatta.
Ethiopia’s federal government said Wednesday it had accepted the invitation. The Tigray rebels said they were “ready” to attend but sought “clarification” on logistics, security arrangements and the role of international observers.
Diplomatic sources told VOA that the talks were pushed back while logistics and other issues concerning the structure of the talks were hammered out.
A five-month cease-fire between the government and rebel Tigray People’s Liberation Front broke down in August.
Last month, the Tigray rebel leadership claimed Eritrea had launched an offensive into their region in support of Ethiopian federal forces. In response, they called on “every single Tigrayan” to join the fight.
This week an airstrike on the town of Adi Daero in northwest Tigray killed 65 civilians, according to aid workers and Tigray forces. The federal government has said its strikes in the area have focused on military targets.
