DENIED:Ethiopia Denies President Museveni Is Mediating Over Tigray

By Our Reporter

ADDIS Ababa, Ethiopia|SHIFTMEDIA| Ethiopia’s government has denied reports that President Yoweri Museveni held mediation talks over conflict in the Tigray region.

President Yoweri Museveni tweeted on Monday saying that he had met with Ethiopia’s foreign minister and deputy prime minister Demeke Mekonnen, and appealed for negotiations to stop the conflict.

However, the Ethiopian government’s task force for the Tigray conflict denied that mediation had taken place, saying: “The claim of mediation in Uganda is not true.”

But State House issued pictures of President Yoweri Museveni having talks with a delegation from Ethiopia led by the country’s Deputy Prime Minister, Demeke Mekonnen Hassen at Gulu State Lodge.

According to Museveni, the Monday morning meeting discussed among others, an imminent civil war in the Tigray region of Ethiopia.

“Our discussion focused on the peace and security issues affecting Ethiopia currently. Being one of the oldest countries that was not colonised in Africa, Ethiopia is the pride of the continent,” Museveni said.

He explained that war in Ethiopia would give the entire continent a bad image since the horn of African country was the only one that survived being colonized.

“There should be negotiations and the conflict stopped, lest it leads to unnecessary loss of lives and cripples the economy. Africa’s problem is that we never discuss ideology, focusing so much on diplomacy.”

“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.”

The meeting was attended by the Prime Minister, Dr Ruhakana Rugunda and State Minister for Foreign Affairs, Henry Okello Oryem among other ministers.