ADDIS ABABA, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- Djibouti on Sunday called for de-escalation and the peaceful resolution of disputes amid recent security tensions in Ethiopia.
Djibouti's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation said in a statement that the Red Sea nation "is following the situation in Ethiopia with concern."
Committed to peace and stability in the Horn of Africa, Djibouti called for de-escalation and the resolution of disputes through dialogue, the statement read.
Reiterating its solidarity with "the brotherly Ethiopian people in their legitimate right to lasting peace and cohesion," the ministry "deplores" the return to conflict in Ethiopia, calling it a major source of distress for the population and a cause of instability that is counterproductive to Ethiopia's development and regional economic integration.
The statement comes as heightened tensions in northern Ethiopia have raised international concerns about a possible relapse into conflict, against the backdrop of the two-year war fought between Ethiopian federal forces and troops loyal to the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) from November 2020 to November 2022. The war left millions in urgent need of humanitarian assistance before the two parties signed a landmark peace accord in Pretoria, South Africa, to end hostilities.
On Friday, the United Nations expressed concern over the continued deterioration of the security situation in northern Ethiopia and the expansion of fighting across multiple fronts.
The African Union has also called for "utmost restraint and immediate cessation of all actions that could further escalate tensions," while urging the immediate resumption of direct talks within the framework of the Pretoria agreement.
Amid the escalating security situation, the Ethiopian National Defense Force stated on Thursday that 272 TPLF rebel fighters were killed following the group's failed offensive on Tuesday night. ■