Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what action they are taking to encourage the government of Ethiopia to (1) pursue talks with Amhara’s armed militia in order to end the current violence in the region, and (2) set up a dialogue with the various regional factions in Ethiopia to address their disputes in order to avoid a new conflict.

The UK regularly raises the need for dialogue and political solution to all Ethiopia's conflicts. On 11 August, the British Embassy Addis Ababa coordinated a statement with US, Japan, Australia and New Zealand, condemning the violence in Amhara. Since the outbreak of conflict His Majesty's Ambassador to Ethiopia has reiterated this message to the Regional President of Amhara and senior government representatives and offered UK support for talks. The UK supports political and regional dialogue initiatives across Ethiopia, with a particular focus on the participation of women and women's organisations and the objective of contributing to a more inclusive National Dialogue process.