Ruto: Tigray conflict a big threat to Horn of Africa

NEW YORK - The ongoing conflict within the Tigray region is triggering instability within the Horn of Africa, Kenya's newly elected President William Ruto has said while terming the war as a "big concern" to the republic of Kenya which is a neighbor of Ethiopia to the South.

Ruto, who assumed office this month from Uhuru Kenyatta, said the conflict is a "concern" to all regional and international stakeholders, noting that "something must be done urgently" to solve the conflict, which could "spill over" to neighboring states.

While noting that Ethiopia and Kenya are the biggest economies in the Horn of Africa, Ruto, in an interview with France 24 TV, said he has rolled out a campaign to bring the warring teams to the negotiation table for the sake of stability within the Horn of Africa nation.

"This is a big concern for us," said the Kenyan president. " Unstable Ethiopia is dangerous for Kenya because the two countries are arguably the biggest economies within that region. This calls for quick actions from all stakeholders including Kenya.

To show his commitment to helping end the conflict, Dr. Ruto said his decision to pick his predecessor Uhuru Kenyatta as envoy to Ethiopia's negotiations was an indicator that he wants the conflict to be ironed out immediately for the sake of peace and development.

"I have appointed President Uhuru Kenyatta to lead negotiations," he noted. "I know he has what it takes to bring order and finish what he had started. We are hopeful that this conflict will be solved and I won't just sit and watch Ethiopia suffering yet we have a way out. "

He added: " I have talked to President Ramaphosa [Cyril], Obasanjo, and even Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed himself and we have agreed that this conflict must end. I believe in the African Union and there is no doubt that they are going to address the matter urgently. "

Fighting was renewed in the country within the Tigray region after the Ethiopian National Defense Forces [ENDF] started bombarding Mekelle, the regional administrative capital of Tigray, killing innocent civilians about three weeks ago. The Tigray People's Liberation Front [TPLF] also activated its team by targeting Amhara and Afar regions.

TPLF has been accusing Abiy Ahmed of working with the Eritrea army to terrorize the Tigray region, with also assistance from the Amhara regional militia. While Eritrea has consistently denied engaging in the Tigray massacre, the United Nations human rights team insisted that it had evidence to prove the allegations.

Eritrea has been closely working with Abiy Ahmed, a move which further degenerated into serious revenge from TPLF. The conflict started in November 2020 and since then, thousands of people have been killed while millions displaced from their homes.

Ethiopia dismissed claims that Eritrea is involved, with US envoy to the Horn of Africa Mike Hammer insisting that there is credible evidence to sustain the allegations. Humanitarian assistance has also been impaired within Tigray with both warring parties blaming each other for the standoff.

TPLF accepted last month's African Union-led dialogue but both teams are yet to set clear rules of engagement. There are concerns that they could issue tough conditions which could easily through talks into jeopardy according to various political analysts on the Horn of Africa affairs.

GAROWE ONLINE