Efforts towards ceasefire in Ethiopia grow amid deepening conflict

African and western nations have called for an immediate ceasefire in Ethiopia one year the after conflict there began, and as Tigrayan rebels advance towards the capital, Addis Ababa.

Jeffrey Feltman, the US special envoy for the Horn of Africa, flew to Addis Ababa on Thursday in an attempt to start ceasefire talks.

Neighbouring countries are among those calling for an end to hostilities. "The fighting must stop!" said Kenyan president Uhuru Kenyatta in a statement. Seemingly concerned about the prospects of refugees fleeing to Kenya, his government said theyit had increased security along theirits border, and encouraged citizens to report "suspected cases of undocumented aliens and unprocessed immigrants" to the nearest police station.

Uganda's president, Yoweri Museveni, called for a meeting of east African leaders, which will reportedly take place on November 16th.

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Some analysts worry the entire region is destabilising. Neighbouring Sudan has just experienced a coup and anti-government protests there have been met with a 10-day internet blackout; the African Union has suspended the state until civilian rule is restored. Eritrea is also enmeshed in Ethiopia's war after aligning with federal forces to fight the Tigrayan rebels.

On Wednesday, Ethiopian prime minister and Nobel laureate Abiy Ahmed pledged to bury the rebels “with our blood”.

"We will bury this enemy with our blood and bones and make the glory of Ethiopia high again," he said. A statement posted on his Facebook page last weekend, which also threatened to "bury" the enemy, was removed after the social media giant ruled that it was inciting violence.

Mr Abiy was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2019, with the accompanying press release saying he had "sought to promote reconciliation, solidarity and social justice" inside the country.

State of emergency

On Tuesday, a six-month state of emergency was declared nationwide. Authorities have also called on Addis Ababa's five million residents to arm themselves and protect the city.

On Wednesday, a long-awaited investigation carried out by the United Nations and Ethiopia's state-appointed human rights commission said all sides were responsible for violations that may amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity.

The US embassy in Addis Ababa told its citizens to "consider departing now using commercial options", while "those planning to remain should ensure they have sufficient provisions stocked in case they need to shelter in place".

The Tigrayan People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) ruled Ethiopia for nearly three decades before Mr Abiy came to power in 2018. A military offensive was first declared on November 4th, 2020, with Ethiopia’s federal leadership saying it was responding to attacks on military bases. Ethiopian forces captured Tigray’s capital, Mekelle, weeks later, but the TPLF rebels regained ground.

Allied with them is the Oromo Liberation Army, whoich says it is they arefighting to "stabilise the country".

At the weekend, Tigrayan forces captured Dessie, 400km northeast of Addis Ababa. On Wednesday a spokesman said they had reached Kemise in Amhara state, 325km from the capital.

Ethiopia is Africa's second most populous country. Thousands of people have been killed in the year-long conflict, tens of thousands have fled the country, two million are displaced and some 400,000 people in Tigray are experiencing famine.