Question Period Note: Conflict in Ethiopia

After a five-month lull in significant military operations a new offensive opened between the Ethiopian National Defence Forces (ENDF) and the Tigray People's Liberation Army (TPLF) on August 24, 2022

• Canada is deeply concerned by renewed and escalating violence in northern Ethiopia. We call on all parties to immediately cease hostilities and continue peace negotiations.
• We continue to call on all parties to the conflict to provide humanitarian workers with safe and unhindered access to assist those in need, as required by international humanitarian law.
• Canada is working with international partners to encourage all parties to work towards a political resolution, and to support a durable peace in Ethiopia.
• To date in 2022, Canada has provided $54.5 million in humanitarian assistance funding for Ethiopia.

The conflict between the Tigray regional government and national government started in November 2020. In March 2022, a “humanitarian truce” dramatically reduced military actions, with Tigrayan forces remaining within regional borders and the federal military vowing not to cross into Tigray.

After a five-month lull in significant military operations, a new offensive opened between the Ethiopian National Defence Forces (ENDF) and the Tigray People's Liberation Army (TPLF) on August 24, 2022. On August 25, the Ethiopian government claimed it had shot down a plane from Sudan carrying weapons into Tigray. On August 26, the government of Ethiopia restarted aerial bombardments of Tigray's capital.

The full humanitarian impact of the renewed fighting remains to be assessed but there have been reports of new population displacement, both within the conflict-affected areas and across the border into Sudan. Humanitarian access has been affected, as road movement between Afar and Tigray has once again stopped, UN humanitarian flights to Mekelle have been indefinitely suspended, and security concerns have forced many humanitarian organizations to cease operations assisting the estimated 13 million people that already required assistance in Tigray, Afar, and Amhara.

Canada has maintained a consistent approach, calling on all parties to take action to ensure safe and unhindered humanitarian access, the protection of civilians and humanitarian workers, an immediate pause in hostilities, and accountability for perpetrators of human rights violations, abuses and atrocities. Canada stands ready to provide targeted assistance for mediation, peacebuilding and reconciliation through peace support operations, development assistance, and other mechanisms going forward.

Canada-Ethiopia calls have taken place at the Prime Minister-level (February 25, 2021; November 13, 2021; November 22, 2021, December 9, 2021, January 15, 2022 and April 6, 2022), Minister of Foreign Affairs (March 8, 2021; July 29, 2021 and November 26, 2021) and Minister of International Development (February 10).

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