Urges The Dispute To End, UN Secretary General Asks Ethiopian Leaders An Example Of Peace In Colombia

JAKARTA - United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for an end to fighting in Ethiopia while in Colombia's capital Bogota on Wednesday, urging Ethiopian leaders to follow the Andean nation's example of peace.

Guterres, who is visiting Colombia to mark the fifth anniversary of a peace deal between the government and the left-wing guerrillas of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), called for an immediate end to hostilities.

"The peace process in Colombia today inspired me to make an urgent call to the protagonists of the conflict in Ethiopia for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire," Guterres said in a joint speech with Colombian President Ivan Duque.

The war in Ethiopia broke out in November 2020 in the country's Tigray region between Ethiopian federal forces and the Tigray People's Liberation Front. In July, the conflict spread to two neighboring regions in northern Ethiopia

Ending the fighting in Ethiopia will allow dialogue to take place between the Ethiopian people, Guterres said, allowing the country to once again contribute to regional stability.

"I really want Colombia to be an example to be followed by leaders in Ethiopia," Guterres added.

On the occasion, Guterres also urged Colombian lawmakers to ratify the Escazu Accord, an agreement between Latin American and Caribbean countries that enshrines protections for those working on environmental causes.

To note, according to advocacy group Global Witness, Colombia is the most dangerous country for environmental defenders in the world, with a record 65 people killed in 2020.

The Colombian government blames criminal gangs and leftist rebels involved in the drug trade for the rise in activist killings.