The United Nations and African Union have backed former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s renewed efforts to mediate in Ethiopia, amid rising tensions threatening the 2022 Pretoria peace agreement.
The organisations urged the parties to immediately resume direct talks under the Permanent Cessation of Hostilities Agreement, warning that further escalation in northern Ethiopia could destabilise the wider Horn of Africa.
The position followed the 27th Consultative Meeting of the UN-AU Joint Task Force on Peace and Security in New York.
Obasanjo, the AU High Representative for the Horn of Africa, led the mediation that produced the Pretoria peace agreement between Ethiopia’s Federal Government and Tigrayan forces in November 2022.
The UN and AU agreed to strengthen coordination behind his renewed mediation and urged all sides to resolve outstanding disputes through good-faith dialogue rather than renewed hostilities.
The AU delegation was led by its Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, Amb. Bankole Adeoye, while the UN delegation included Under-Secretaries-General Rosemary DiCarlo, Jean-Pierre Lacroix and Atul Khare, as well as other senior officials.
The meeting also reviewed conflicts and political transitions in Sudan, Somalia, South Sudan and the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.
On Sudan, the organisations said there could be no viable military solution and called for an immediate cessation of hostilities. They rejected the establishment of any parallel government and urged an inclusive dialogue towards civilian-led governance.
On Somalia, the task force reaffirmed support for the African Union Support and Stabilisation Mission and stressed the need for sustained international backing. It also urged Somali stakeholders to continue dialogue towards an inclusive agreement on elections.
In eastern DRC, the UN and AU welcomed African, regional and international peace initiatives and called for an effective and permanent ceasefire, alongside an inclusive national dialogue.
On South Sudan, the meeting called for national consensus ahead of planned December elections and urged authorities to address outstanding gaps in preparations.
The task force also reviewed broader UN-AU cooperation on conflict prevention, mediation, early warning, human rights and support for African-led peace operations.
It highlighted implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 2719, which provides a framework for predictable financing of eligible AU-led peace support operations on a case-by-case basis.
The meeting also welcomed new agreements on operational support and knowledge exchange signed during the 81st session of the UN General Assembly.
The next statutory meeting of the Joint Task Force will be hosted by the African Union Commission.
