UN presses for de-escalation as internet is cut and aid movements stall

The United Nations said on 25 September that it remained gravely concerned by the deterioration of the security situation across northern Ethiopia. Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said the UN was “particularly troubled by reports of the use of drones as well as incidents of harm to civilians”, and repeated the call for maximum restraint and dialogue. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was engaging leaders in New York, and his special envoy for the Horn of Africa, Guang Cong, was coordinating with the African Union and IGAD to support a resumption of dialogue under the 2022 Pretoria agreement.

The humanitarian position worsened with the fighting. Internet and telephone services were largely cut across Tigray and roads were blocked in parts of Afar, pausing planned aid movements and constraining operations in Amhara. On 22 September a drone strike in north-western Tigray had hit a truck carrying food assistance for displaced people.

UN human rights chief Volker Turk said again that he was deeply alarmed, and cited reports that an ENDF mortar strike killed civilians in Kobo, Amhara. His statement also carried a serious allegation against the coalition's most powerful member: he deplored what he described as an ongoing campaign of forced mass recruitment of civilians, including children, by the TPLF across Tigray, and reprisals against those who resist it. The UN urged all parties to protect civilians and to allow safe and unhindered humanitarian access.