Uganda’s Chief of Defence Forces, General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, expressed support for the Ethiopian National Defence Force and called for an immediate end to the renewed fighting in northern Ethiopia.
In a post on X, Kainerugaba also called for respect for the Pretoria peace agreement and said Ethiopia’s unity and sovereignty must be protected.
“We call for an immediate cessation of the escalation and hostilities. We call for respect and adherence to the Pretoria Peace Agreement,” he wrote.
The remarks came as fighting intensified between Ethiopian federal forces and Tigrayan fighters aligned with the Tigray People’s Liberation Front.
Ethiopia’s federal government accused Tigrayan forces of attacking military positions in the northern regions of Afar and Amhara. The Tigrayan side said it was responding to an offensive involving federal ground forces, drones and aircraft.
Tigrayan forces took control of the airports in Mekelle, Axum and Shire during the fighting. The United Nations expressed concern over the airport seizures and reports that hostilities had spread beyond Tigray into neighbouring areas.
The conflict later extended to strategic towns in the north, including Alamata and Erebti. Medical facilities treated hundreds of injured people, while about 150,000 residents were displaced, according to reports cited by the Associated Press.
The clashes threatened the agreement signed by the Ethiopian government and the TPLF in Pretoria, South Africa, in 2022. The deal ended the two-year Tigray war and committed the parties to a permanent cessation of hostilities.
The African Union and the United Nations called for restraint and a return to dialogue under the Pretoria framework as fears grew that the fighting could develop into another prolonged conflict.
Kainerugaba has previously held talks with Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and Ethiopian army chief Field Marshal Birhanu Jula on military cooperation between Uganda and Ethiopia.
Elie GATETE
RADIOTV10