US envoy says 'nascent progress' achieved in Ethiopia talks

Jeffrey Feltman says Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed wants opposition forces to return to Tigray

Jeffrey Feltman, US envoy to the Horn of Africa, met Ethiopia's Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed to discuss peaceful negotiations with Tigrayan forces. Reuters

The US envoy to the Horn of Africa, Jeffrey Feltman, highlighted on Tuesday that there has been some movement in diplomatic talks to reach a cessation of hostilities in Ethiopia.

“There is some nascent progress in trying to get the parties to move from a military confrontation to a negotiating process,” Mr Feltman said in a call with reporters.

He said, however, that this progress is fragile and at risk of being outpaced by the military developments on the ground.

“What I worry about is that the military developments on the ground are moving more rapidly than we've been able to get the diplomatic process to move.”

The US envoy said that Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed told him on Sunday that he wants forces from the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) to return to Tigray. Mr Feltman added that the US agrees with this demand as it is in line with the lifting of the humanitarian blockade on Tigray.

“What I mostly discussed was how his goals could be achieved through the negotiating table rather than militarily,” Mr Feltman said about his meeting with Mr Abiy.

Captive Ethiopian soldiers arrive at the Mekele Rehabilitation Centre in Tigray, Ethiopia, after a four-day journey from Abdi Eshir. All photos: AFP

Women welcome Tigray People's Liberation Front fighters as they return to Mekele after seizing control of the city in June 2021.

Ethiopians who fled the Tigray conflict wait to charge their phones at Um Raquba refugee camp in Gedaref, Sudan.

A member of the Afar Special Forces stands in front of the debris of a house on the outskirts of the village of Bisober in Tigray.

People hold candles and Ethiopian flags at a memorial service for the victims of the Tigray conflict in Addis Ababa.

An Ethiopian refugee who fled fighting in Tigray waits behind a fence in a camp in Sudan.

Refugees living in a camp in Sudan after fleeing violence in Tigray.

A woman walks among the remains of a destroyed factory in Ataye, Ethiopia, where more than 100 civilians died in a recent flare-up of violence.

Two members of the Amhara militia ride in the back of a pick-up truck. Amharas and Tigrayans were uneasy neighbours before the current fighting, with tension over land sparking violent clashes.

Militias from the Amhara region have been involved in the fighting in Tigray.

Tens of thousands of Ethiopians gather at a rally organised by the mayor of Addis Ababa to show support for the military's efforts in Tigray.

Zeleke Alabachew, farmer and militia fighter, tends to his land near the village of Tekeldengy, Ethiopia, Africa's second most populous nation.

People celebrate the liberation of opposition leaders in the city of Alamata, Ethiopia.

A family fleeing violence sit in a former classroom at May Weyni secondary school, now hosting 10,500 displaced people, in Mekele, capital of Tigray.

Ethiopian refugees travel to Sudan to escape violence in Tigray.

Ethiopian refugees gather to celebrate the 46th anniversary of the Tigray People's Liberation Front at Um Raquba refugee camp in Gedaref, Sudan. The TPLF dominated Ethiopian politics before being ousted from their regional stronghold last year.

An Ethiopian refugee sets up a tent in a camp in the town of Gedaref, Sudan, after being transported from the border reception centre.

Pro-Tigrayan demonstrators display placards during a protest in front of the chancellery in Berlin.

The aftermath of heavy shelling in Wukro, a city north of Mekele, in Ethiopia.

“I was encouraged that [Mr Abiy] was willing to talk to me in detail about what a diplomatic process could look like.”

But he added that Mr Abiy had expressed confidence that he will be able to push back the Tigrayan forces militarily.

“I questioned that confidence,” Mr Feltman said. “I was trying to tell him what was the cost to Ethiopia's stability. The cost to the civilians, the dignity of Ethiopia has been damaged by this war. The costs are too high.”

He also warned the TPLF against pushing into the capital Addis Ababa.

“The TPLF would be met with unrelenting hostility if it entered Addis today,” he said.

Mr Feltman returned on Monday from Ethiopia, his second trip this month to try to reach a cessation of hostilities.

He described a growing appetite for negotiations this time despite the public rhetoric from Mr Abiy, who has pledged to join the battlefront, and increased threats from the TPLF as they continue advancing towards the capital.

“There is a sense of realism, that after a year of this horror, there might be other approaches to consider in order to achieve goals.”

The US envoy said steps including the withdrawal of the TPLF, allowing humanitarian aid into the northern regions and delisting the TPLF as a terrorist organisation by the Ethiopian Parliament could pave the way for de-escalation.

At the same time, Mr Feltman did not play down the risks of escalation. The US, France, Finland, Turkey and Jordan, fearing an all-out war, have urged their citizens to leave Ethiopia this month.

“I emphasise this may escalate further and can cause supply chain shortages, communications black outs, travel disruptions [in Ethiopia]," Mr Feltman said of the conflict.

“If commercial options become available, take the available seat on the commercial flights, now.”

Correction: A previous version of this story quoted Mr Feltman as saying there had been "massive progress in trying to get the parties to move from a military confrontation to a negotiating process". The State Department transcript of the call, however, showed that Mr Feltman had said "nascent progress".