Kenya foreign minister says ceasefire 'possible' in Ethiopia

Nairobi. Kenya said Wednesday it believes Ethiopia's government and Tigrayan rebels can reach a ceasefire as foreign envoys and leaders, including President Uhuru Kenyatta, scramble to end the year-long conflict.

"We believe in the potential of Ethiopia to find a resolution to this crisis. We believe that a ceasefire is possible," Kenya's Foreign Minister Raychelle Omamo told a joint news conference with visiting US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

The conflict in northern Ethiopia has killed thousands of people and left hundreds of thousands at risk of starvation.

Blinken last week warned that failure to strike a deal "would lead to the implosion of Ethiopia and spill over into other countries in the region".

Kenyatta, who has been closely involved in regional mediation efforts, made a surprise visit to Ethiopia on Sunday, with Omamo on Wednesday expressing hope that a solution could be found.

Blinken, who began a three-nation tour of Africa on Wednesday, has backed the African Union's efforts to bring an end to the conflict, with former Nigerian president Olusegun Obasanjo leading the push.

Washington has threatened to impose sanctions on the Ethiopian government and the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) unless it moves forward on talks, as fears of a rebel march on Addis Ababa prompt a flurry of diplomatic activity.

In addition to Obasanjo, who held meetings in Ethiopia last week with Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and the TPLF leadership, US special envoy Jeffrey Feltman also visited the country for talks.

Ethiopia on Thursday laid out conditions for possible talks with the rebels, including a halt to attacks, the TPLF's withdrawal from the neighbouring areas of Amhara and Afar, and recognition of the government's legitimacy.

The TPLF in turn is demanding that aid be allowed into Tigray, the region where the conflict erupted last year. No assistance has arrived by road since October 18, and 364 trucks are stuck in Afar awaiting authorisation, according to the United Nations.

Abiy sent troops into Tigray last November to topple the TPLF, a move he said came in response to rebel attacks on army camps.

Though the 2019 Nobel Peace laureate vowed a swift victory, by late June the TPLF had retaken most of Tigray before expanding into Amhara and Afar.