African Union wants ceasefire in Ethiopia's Tigray conflict

Reuters
Updated
A member of the Amhara Special Force patrols a street in Soroka village in Amhara region near a border with Tigray

NAIROBI (Reuters) - The African Union has called for a ceasefire in Ethiopia's northern Tigray region, where federal troops are engaged in an offensive against the local government that they accuse of attacking a military base last week.

"The chairperson (Moussa Faki Mahamat) appeals for the immediate cessation of hostilities and calls on parties to respect human rights and ensure the protection of civilians," the AU bloc said in a statement, also urging talks.

(Reporting by Omar Mohammed in Nairobi; Writing by Andrew Cawthorne; Editing by Duncan Miriri and Alex Richardson)