March 29, 2024

My Views on News

Impartial and Unflinching

Tigray, in a letter to UN Security Council, makes 4 demands

Spread the love

Tigray President Debretsion Gebremichael has made 4 demands of the international community. In a letter addressed to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Tigray President says that he has ordered his forces to withdraw back into Tigray from neighboring Amhara and Afar region and the decision was made to meet the international community’s demand that Tigray forces should withdraw from Amhara and Afar.

The letter has been written right before a session of the UN Security Council on Ethiopia due to be held in the coming hours. Tigray President has made the following 4 demands in the letter:

  • No fly zone over Tigray
  • Arms embargo on Ethiopia and Eritrea
  • Withdrawal of Amhara and Eritrean forces from western and northern Tigray for restoration of Tigray’s borders to pre-war position
  • Establishment of humanitarian corridor or demilitarised route for unhindered delivery of aid to Tigray

In the coming hours, UN Security Council will meet to consider the 4 major demands of the Tigray government. The Ethiopian government is not likely to meet most of the 4 demands. Withdrawal of Amhara forces from western Tigray would be a sticking point as the Amhara region has claimed over western Tigray and the area has been disputed between Tigray and Amhara for years. It would be unlikely to reach a consensus at UN Security Council for an arms embargo on Ethiopia and a no-fly zone over Tigray. UN Security remained split in its previous session on Ethiopia, with Russia and China supporting the Ethiopian government and some western countries and the US backing Tigray. Just 4 hours ago, the Ethiopian air force once again conducted a drone strike on Mekelle, the capital city of Tigray, which indicates that the Ethiopian government sees itself in a strong position now.