AU asks Obasanjo to renew mediation as northern Ethiopia tensions escalate

African Union Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf asked Olusegun Obasanjo to urgently engage the parties in northern Ethiopia on September 23, 2026, as the AU called for direct talks and an end to actions that could intensify renewed tensions.

The request, confirmed in an AU statement and reported by The Reporter, gives the organisation’s Horn of Africa representative a renewed diplomatic task under the Pretoria peace framework. Youssouf also urged Ethiopia’s neighbours to support de-escalation and avoid contributing to the crisis.

The AU expressed concern about the occupation of airports in Mekelle, Axum and Shire, the detention of federal personnel and disruption of civilian air services. It described the airport occupations as inconsistent with commitments under the agreement signed by Ethiopia’s government and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front on November 2, 2022. Those assessments are attributed to the AU; they are not an independent account of battlefield events.

In a separate response on September 23, U.S. Ambassador Ervin Massinga condemned what he described as a large-scale TPLF offensive in Tigray and Afar, according to The Reporter. He warned that Washington could target additional leaders undermining peace efforts and urged a return to AU-backed dialogue. The report described a warning of possible sanctions, not a newly announced sanctions measure.

The diplomatic responses follow Ethiopian Airlines’ suspension of services to the three cities on September 23. The immediate issue for the peace process is whether the parties return to talks; the AU statement did not announce an agreed meeting date or a new ceasefire.