By Staff Writer
(Nairobi, Kenya) — Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), is asking the federal government and regional leaders to stop using military force and instead find a political solution to the country’s ongoing conflicts.
Dr. Tedros, who previously served as Ethiopia’s Minister of Health and Minister of Foreign Affairs, warned that fighting across the country is causing widespread suffering and risking national stability.
In a message posted on his social media, Dr. Tedros said that fighting is devastating the Amhara and Oromia regions and spreading into Afar and Benishangul-Gumuz. He stated, “The conflict in Amhara has lasted three years and taken many lives. Oromia is also suffering badly,” warning that many parts of Ethiopia are either fighting or preparing for war.
His statement came as international concerns grow over potential new fighting between the federal government and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF). Dr. Tedros asked all military and political leaders to remain calm, reminding everyone that war causes death, destruction, and economic and social collapse. He urged federal and regional leaders to choose dialogue over guns.
Worries about expanded fighting increased after reports of clashes near Shererina, close to the Ethiopia–Sudan border. Although the Ethiopian government has not officially commented on the incident, reports from the area have heightened fears of further military action.
TPLF leaders have openly declared on various platforms that they are preparing for war, stating their goal to challenge the federal government led by the Prosperity Party. In response, federal officials accuse TPLF members of collaborating with external enemies and planning for conflict.
Getachew Reda, Advisor to the Prime Minister on Horn of Africa matters and former President of the Tigray Interim Regional Administration, posted comments on social media. He claimed that after denying external connections, TPLF leaders have now admitted to working with Eritrean forces.
Getachew said TPLF leaders refuse to seek peace and are focusing instead on replacing the federal government. He called on the federal government to fully implement the November 2022 Pretoria Peace Agreement and to exercise restraint despite repeated provocations. He also urged international partners to use satellite monitoring along borders and hold accountable anyone instigating war.
The war in northern Ethiopia between 2020 and 2022 killed hundreds of thousands and displaced millions before the African Union brokered the Pretoria Peace Agreement. With the agreement’s anniversary approaching, recent border clashes and hostile rhetoric have prompted calls for calm from the AU and international diplomats.
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed stated in a speech before the House of People’s Representatives that the TPLF carries out daily military provocations. Conversely, TPLF Chairman Dr. Debretsion Gebremichael told residents in Mekelle that Tigray forces are ready to confront the federal government, asserting that they are “not alone as before”—raising concerns that renewed fighting could draw in external regional powers.
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I second Brother Dr. Tedros call for political dialogue and peaceful solutions to issues facing that country. To make things worse, there was an earthquake today in the usual tremor active area of Metahara. It measured 4.6 on the Richter Scale. Let’s hope there will be no more damaging aftershocks.
Dr. Tedros Adhanom’s recent statement about the need for peace at this time, while expressing what appears to be concern for the Amhara people, is deeply troubling and reflects a serious double standard.Dr. Tedros has been accused of abusing his position and influence as a senior UN official by supporting or failing to adequately condemn the TPLF’s military actions and incursions into the Afar and Amhara regions. At a time when armed attacks and provocations against federal forces and communities in the Afar region continue, calls for peace must be consistent, impartial, and applied equally to all parties.
It is therefore concerning when Dr. Tedros speaks about peace while, in the view of his critics, failing to acknowledge or condemn the actions of forces associated with the TPLF. Peace cannot be selective, and concern for the Ethiopian people must extend equally to Amhara, Afar, Tigrayan, and all other communities affected by conflict and violence.Dr. Tedros Adhanom should not use his international UN position to advance a political agenda or shield any political or military organization from accountability. The people of Ethiopia deserve honest leadership, impartiality, justice, and genuine efforts toward lasting peace.
Pastor Degome Moretew