Abiy Ahmed: We are open for dialogue with TPLF

Ethiopia's Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed opened the door for negotiations with rebel groups in the country.

Abiy was speaking to the members of parliament on Tuesday and further indicated that there have been no negotiations so far but he is open for any future talks with the Tigrayan leaders.

He further stressed that there will be no negotiation against the national interests of Ethiopia.

"So far there has been no negotiation. I hear a lot being said about negotiations, but so far there has been no negotiation. However, the fact that we haven’t had negotiations doesn’t mean there will be no negotiation altogether. Negotiations, dialogue doesn’t mean the problem has been solved, it means seeing whether there’s an alternative route to solve rid of a problem," Abiy told the parliament.

Ethiopian federal forces have been fighting rebels loyal to the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) since November 2020.

The country is also messed in a border row with Sudan and a dispute with Egypt and Khartoum over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam on the Blue Nile river.