UNITED NATIONS, Nov. 4 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday expressed alarm over the reported armed clashes in the Tigray region of Ethiopia, said his spokesman.
The secretary-general called for immediate measures to de-escalate tensions and ensure a peaceful resolution to the dispute. He underlined the importance of the stability of Ethiopia for the Horn of Africa region, said Stephane Dujarric, the spokesman, in a statement.
The secretary-general renewed the commitment of the United Nations, with its partners in the region, to support the government of Ethiopia in its reform efforts aimed at building a peaceful and secure future for all its peoples, said the statement.
Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed on Wednesday ordered military operations against the rebel Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) in the northern state of Tigray in response to an attack on a government army base earlier in the day.
In recent weeks, there have been rising tensions between Ahmed's Prosperity Party and the TPLF, with each side accusing the other of trying to destabilize the country.
