The permanent representative of the United States to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, has told countries to stop supplying arms to warring parties in the Ethiopia-Tigray conflict.

Issuing this warning in a tweet via her official Twitter handle on Thursday, Ms Thomas-Greenfield asked countries to encourage negotiation and ceasefire as alternatives to ending the conflict that has lingered since November 2020.

“Instead of providing arms to any of the warring parties in the Ethiopian conflict, all countries must stop the flow of weapons, encourage a negotiated ceasefire, and come together to end ongoing abuses and hostilities – without preconditions – to enable a peaceful resolution,” Ms Thomas-Greenfield tweeted.

Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed had earlier asked his citizens to take arms and fight against the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) and allies, the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA). 

Tens of thousands of people have been killed, millions displaced, and hundreds of thousands have been driven to famine-like conditions, according to UN estimates, since fighting broke out last year.

The international community has continued to observe the conflict, which escalated in November 2020 when forces of the TPLF seized military bases in Tigray. The United Kingdom, the United States, and Japan have sent out warnings, asking citizens resident in the country to evacuate.

In August, both rebel parties announced a military alliance against Mr Ahmed’s government. 

However, last week, the Ethiopian government revealed that forces had recaptured the strategic towns of Dessie and Kombolcha from rebellious Tigrayan forces, the latest sign of the government retaking territory it recently lost.