India addresses peace, security in Africa at UN Security Council

Speaking at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on Peace and Security in Africa this week, India in its capacity as president said that Ethiopia needs all the support from the international community amid the Tigray crisis.

The conflict in Tigray is having a severe impact on the civilian population. The fighting in Tigray broke out in November after the Ethiopian government accused the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) of attacking a regional military base to hijack weapons and arm the anti-government militia.

India's Permanent Representative to UN, T.S. Tirumurti, said: "There is an urgent need to scale up efforts consistent with UN guiding principles for humanitarian assistance. Ethiopia needs all the support it can get from the international community.

"The unilateral ceasefire announced by the government of Ethiopia on June 28, 2021, was an important step. Unfortunately, the opportunity provided by the ceasefire seems not to have been grasped, with the continuing aggression and belligerence of one side and the spread of fighting beyond the Tigray region."

He strongly denounced and condemned all atrocities committed by armed groups against civilians, including children. "Those responsible for human rights violations and sexual violence perpetrated in Tigray should be prosecuted," said the Indian envoy.

(ANI)