ADDIS ABABA, Oct. 24 (Xinhua) -- The Ethiopian Government Communications Service (EGCS) said a government delegation has left for South Africa on Monday morning to attend peace talks with the rebel Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF).
In a statement, EGCS said the Ethiopian government views the African Union (AU)-led peace talks which will be hosted by South Africa, as an opportunity to peacefully resolve the conflict in the northern Tigray region.
The statement also said it views the peace talks as an opportunity to consolidate the improvement of the situation on the ground brought about through the sacrifices of the Ethiopian army.
On Sunday, the TPLF confirmed it has sent a delegation to attend AU-led peace talks in South Africa.
The AU-led talks were previously planned for Oct. 8, but were postponed due to reportedly "logistical and technical reasons".
Ethiopia, Africa's second most populous nation, has seen a devastating conflict between government-allied troops and forces loyal to the TPLF since November 2020, which has left millions in urgent need of humanitarian assistance.
Humanitarian aid had been heading to the Tigray region after the Ethiopian government and the rebel forces in late March agreed to a conditional cessation of hostilities and unhindered delivery of humanitarian aid into the region.
Conflict resumed in August as the Ethiopian government and TPLF blamed each other. The resumption of fighting has also led to the halting of humanitarian aid flow into the Tigray region. ■