A statement from the French presidency on Saturday said that President Emmanuel Macron has asked for talks to start to end the fighting in the Tigray area of northern Ethiopia.
This message came out after Macron’s talks today with Abi Ahmed, the prime minister of Ethiopia, and Hamdok, the prime minister of Sudan.
Also, Macron said that all restrictions must be lifted so that humanitarian help can get to Tigray.
Macron said that France was worried about the growing fighting in northern Ethiopia and the worsening of the humanitarian situation in Tigray.
“The very bad humanitarian situation and the need to help the people of Tigray call for strong actions, especially the removal of all restrictions on aid distribution,” he said.
The Elysée also said, “France backs the work of Martin Griffiths, who is currently in Ethiopia as head of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs of the United Nations.”
According to what Macron said to the prime ministers of Sudan and Ethiopia, “the situation has changed so that the parties in conflict need to negotiate the end of hostilities and the start of a political dialogue in a way that respects the sovereignty and unity of Ethiopia.”
The French presidency also said, “France is ready to help Ethiopia move in these ways with its partners.”
As part of its efforts to deal with a “catastrophic” humanitarian situation, the UN said on Friday that it was unacceptable that there are barriers that make it harder to get urgent humanitarian help to the people of Tigray.
The UN has said that it is having trouble getting supplies, crews, and equipment to the area in northern Ethiopia. They have also warned that the situation for the millions of people who are touched by the conflict is very bad.
UN agencies said that another $430 million was still needed to fully fund the humanitarian reaction in Tigray this year.
An office of the UN in charge of humanitarian affairs said that 5.2 million people need “rescue help and support” after eight months of fighting in Tigray.
At a news conference in Geneva, office spokesman Jens Larkey said, “Getting humanitarian aid to people in need is the biggest task.”
Since June of last year, only a group of 50 trucks carrying humanitarian help has been able to get into Tigray.
Larkey said that aid workers and supplies can only go through one narrow strip of land, and that there are several checkpoints where crews are “interrogated, intimidated, and sometimes held.”
“All roads to Tigray must be open, both by air and by land, so that relief groups can get there without killing a lot of people,” Larkey said.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs asked for the opening of humanitarian corridors in Tigray on Wednesday, saying that food supplies could be cut off to the area that is at risk of famine.