Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni has deleted a tweet in which he said there should be negotiations over the conflict in the north of Ethiopia “lest it leads to unnecessary loss of lives and cripples the economy”.
His comments, in a Twitter thread, came after he met Ethiopia’s Foreign Minister Demeke Mekonnen in Uganda.
But this one in the thread now appears to have been withdrawn:
Museveni also removed the same comment in his statement on Facebook page.
There is no explanation as to why the tweet was removed but up to now, the federal government in Ethiopia has rejected calls for negotiations with the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF).
It describes its mission in Tigray as a “law-enforcement operation”.
The fighting has led to thousands of people fleeing the country into neighbouring Sudan and reports of hundreds of deaths.
Getting exact details of what is happening is hampered by an internet shutdown and the phone lines being cut.
Earlier, the Ethiopian government had denied that Mr Museveni would be mediating between it and the TPLF.
Mr Museveni said that his discussions with Mr Demeke “focused on the peace and security issues affecting Ethiopia currently”.
He added a message that chimes with Ethiopia’s view: “I totally disagree with politics that focus on ethnic federalism. We must emphasise the issue of oneness and common interests because it is the only way we can prosper.”
-BBC
