The United Nations (UN) and African Union (AU) have urged former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo to intensify mediation efforts in Ethiopia amid renewed tensions threatening the 2022 peace agreement.
The two organisations expressed their “steadfast support” for Obasanjo’s renewed efforts and called on the parties to return immediately to direct negotiations under the Permanent Cessation of Hostilities Agreement.
They warned that miscalculations in northern Ethiopia could trigger further escalation and destabilise the wider Horn of Africa.
The position was reached at 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 negotiations that produced the Pretoria peace agreement between Ethiopia’s Federal Government and Tigrayan forces in November 2022.
With tensions resurfacing, the organisations agreed to strengthen coordination around his mediation, urging all parties to resolve outstanding issues through good-faith dialogue rather than renewed fighting.
The meeting also reviewed conflicts and political developments in Sudan, Somalia, South Sudan and the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.
On Sudan, the UN and AU said there was no viable military solution and called for an immediate cessation of hostilities. They rejected the creation of any parallel government and urged an inclusive dialogue towards civilian-led governance.
They also condemned external interference and military support they said were fuelling the conflict.
For Somalia, the task force reaffirmed support for the African Union Support and Stabilisation Mission and called for sustained international backing. Somali stakeholders were urged to continue negotiations towards an inclusive electoral agreement.
In eastern DRC, the organisations welcomed ongoing African, regional and international peace initiatives and called for an effective and permanent ceasefire, alongside an inclusive national dialogue.
On South Sudan, they called for national consensus ahead of the 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 the 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 welcomed new agreements on operational support and knowledge exchange signed during UNGA81, with the next statutory Joint Task Force meeting to be hosted by the African Union Commission.
