The United Nations and the African Union have called on former Nigerian President, Olusegun Obasanjo, to intensify efforts to prevent a return to conflict in Ethiopia, amid renewed tensions threatening the peace agreement he helped broker in 2022.

The two organisations reaffirmed their support for Obasanjo’s renewed mediation efforts and urged the parties involved in the Ethiopian crisis to immediately return to direct negotiations under the Permanent Cessation of Hostilities Agreement.

They warned that renewed tensions and possible miscalculations in northern Ethiopia could trigger further escalation and have wider consequences for peace and stability across the Horn of Africa.

The position was contained in the outcome of the 27th Consultative Meeting of the UN-AU Joint Task Force on Peace and Security, held in New York.

Obasanjo, who serves as the AU High Representative for the Horn of Africa, led the mediation process that resulted in the Pretoria peace agreement between Ethiopia’s Federal Government and Tigrayan forces in November 2022.

With tensions reportedly resurfacing, the UN and AU are relying on the former Nigerian leader to re-engage the parties, revive direct dialogue and help prevent the agreement from collapsing.

The organisations agreed to strengthen coordination in support of Obasanjo’s mediation and urged all parties to resolve outstanding disputes through good-faith dialogue rather than renewed hostilities.

The AU delegation at the meeting was led by its Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, Ambassador Bankole Adeoye, while the UN delegation included Under-Secretaries-General Rosemary DiCarlo, Jean-Pierre Lacroix and Atul Khare.

The meeting also reviewed conflicts and political developments in Sudan, Somalia, South Sudan and the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.

On Sudan, the UN and AU maintained that there was no viable military solution to the conflict and called for an immediate cessation of hostilities.

They also rejected the establishment of any parallel government and advocated an inclusive dialogue leading to civilian-led governance.

In Somalia, the organisations reaffirmed their support for the African Union Support and Stabilisation Mission and called for sustained international backing, while urging Somali stakeholders to continue dialogue towards an inclusive electoral agreement.

For the eastern DRC, the UN and AU welcomed ongoing African, regional and international peace initiatives and called for an effective and permanent ceasefire, alongside an inclusive national dialogue.

The meeting further called for national consensus in South Sudan ahead of the planned December elections and urged the authorities to address outstanding gaps in preparations.

The Joint Task Force also reviewed broader UN-AU cooperation on conflict prevention, mediation, early warning, human rights and support for African-led peace operations, including the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 2719 on predictable financing for eligible AU-led peace support operations.