UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres speaks at a press encounter at the UN headquarters in New York, on Feb. 1, 2022. Guterres on Tuesday called for an immediate cessation of hostilities in Ethiopia to observe the Olympic Truce. (Eskinder Debebe/UN Photo/Handout via Xinhua)
UNITED NATIONS, Feb. 1 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday called for an immediate cessation of hostilities in Ethiopia to observe the Olympic Truce.
"The people of Ethiopia continue to suffer greatly from ongoing conflict and bloodshed. For millennia, the tradition of the Olympic Truce has called on all parties, everywhere, to stop hostilities throughout the course of the Games," he said. "As I prepare to leave for the Winter Olympics, I make the strongest possible appeal for all parties in Ethiopia for an immediate cessation of hostilities."
The cessation of hostilities can allow for effective humanitarian access and relief to all affected populations throughout Ethiopia, and help pave the way to a much-needed inclusive national dialogue, he said in a press encounter before his trip to Beijing for the opening of the Games.
"I reiterate my appeal to all parties to follow the finest tradition of the Olympic spirit to save lives, overcome differences and find the path to real peace," said Guterres. ■
