UNITED NATIONS, Nov. 8 (Xinhua) -- UN Undersecretary-General for Political Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo warned Monday that the conflict in northern Ethiopia places the future of the country and its people in grave uncertainty.
"The year-long conflict in the Tigray region of Ethiopia has reached disastrous proportions. The fighting places the future of the country and its people, as well as the stability of the wider Horn of Africa region, in grave uncertainty," she told the Security Council in a briefing.
In recent days, Tigrayan forces have advanced southward toward Addis Ababa, the capital city of Ethiopia, acting in coordination with the Oromo Liberation Army. The federal government of Ethiopia has declared a nationwide state of emergency and has stated it is fighting "an existential war." Elsewhere, insecurity in the Oromia region continues to worsen, while the situation in parts of the Benishangul-Gumuz region remains tense, she noted.
"There has been much speculation regarding how this crisis will unfold over the coming weeks. In a country of over 110 million people, over 90 different ethnic groups and 80 languages, no one can predict what continued fighting and insecurity will bring. But let me be clear: What is certain is that the risk of Ethiopia descending into widening civil war is only too real. That would bring about a humanitarian catastrophe and consume the future of such an important country," warned DiCarlo.
The political repercussions of intensifying violence in the wider region would be immense, compounding the many crises besetting the Horn of Africa, she added. Enditem
