ADDIS ABABA, Jan. 30 (Xinhua) -- African Union (AU) Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf has called for maximum restraint in Ethiopia's Tigray region.
The AU, in a statement issued Friday, said the AUC chief is closely monitoring the situation in parts of the East African country's northernmost Tigray region, and expressed "deep concern over recent developments" there.
Youssouf "re-emphasizes the paramount and continued importance of the preservation of the hard-won gains achieved under the AU-led Permanent Cessation of Hostilities Agreement between the federal government of Ethiopia and the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF)."
He called on all parties to exercise "maximum restraint, refrain from actions that could undermine confidence, and resolve all outstanding issues through constructive dialogue," in full adherence to the obligations and spirit of the peace agreement, the statement said.
Youssouf reaffirmed the 55-member bloc's "unwavering commitment to the full and effective implementation" of the peace accord, reiterating the AU's continued support for the parties throughout the peace-building and reconciliation process.
The AU remains ready to scale up facilitating dialogue, cooperation, and confidence-building between relevant parties, in support of sustainable peace and stability in the Tigray region, the statement said.
The Tigray region was at the epicenter of a two-year conflict between Ethiopian federal government-allied troops and forces loyal to the TPLF, which left millions in urgent need of humanitarian assistance.
The two parties signed a peace accord in November 2022, bringing an end to the deadly conflict.
Reports of clashes in parts of the Tigray region in the past few days have triggered fears of a possible relapse to wider conflict. ■