Ethiopian war talks ‘less hostile’ – UN deputy chief

 The UN’s deputy chief has expressed optimism about talks between the Ethiopian government and Tigrayan rebels.

“We are certainly in [a] much better place and there’s much more conversation,” Amina Mohammed said after returning from war-torn regions of Tigray, Amhara and Afar.

“There’s certainly less hostility than there was a few months ago.”

Ms Mohammed was accompanied on the trip by the African Union’s mediator, former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo.

The UN’s deputy secretary general was talking to journalists in the capital, Addis Ababa, at the end of her visit to Ethiopia. She came to attend the AU summit over the weekend.

During her stay she met the authorities and the leadership of the Tigrayan People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), which has been at war with government forces for more than a year.

Ms Mohammed reiterated calls for a cessation of hostilities.

The conflict has forced millions of people to flee their homes and the UN says nearly 40% of people in Tigray are suffering from an extreme lack of food.

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