Sultan of Afar Calls for De-Escalation of Conflict in Afar Homeland
WASHINGTON, Oct. 7, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The Sultan of Afar Ahmed Alimirah is calling for support for the United Nations and African Union's call for de-escalation and talks to promote peace in the Ethiopian homeland of the Afar. A statement entitled "This is Not Our War" details the plight of the Afar people, one of the most disadvantaged and economically neglected ethnic groups in Ethiopia. It calls for an end to conflict in the area.
"Afars have repeatedly paid the price for wars we did not start," the statement said. "Today, as fighting once again enters the Afar Region, our people face yet another catastrophe: homes abandoned, livestock lost, lives cut short, and another generation scarred by war."
As the war wages around them, the Afar have suffered displacement, restricted access to emergency assistance, and severed communication. Last year, 11 Afar in Siyaru, a remote village near the Ethiopia-Djibouti border, were killed by a Djiboutian drone strike which they claim targeted rebel terrorists from the Front for the Restoration of Unity and Democracy (Frud). Investigations revealed that the strike hit just over the Ethiopian border in civilian territory, killing women, children, and the elderly in a community already struggling to survive. Ahmed Alimirah, was the only voice condemning the strikes.
Now, the Afar occupy land in the Addis Ababa to Djibouti corridor, which moves more than 95 percent of the country's trade by volume. The region's importance has now turned the Afar homeland into a proxy battlefield.
The Sultanate will initiate talks with the United Nations and African Union to de-escalate the conflict through dialogue.
"The Afars have defended their homeland throughout history and sacrificed in defense of Ethiopia long before today's governments, political parties, and armed movements existed," the statement says. "This war must be resolved through dialogue. We support the United Nations' and the African Union's call for immediate de-escalation and talks. The path of peace through genuine dialogue and respect for Ethiopia's sovereignty must be pursued."
To read the statement, "This is Not Our War," click here. For more information on the humanitarian crisis in the Afar region, contact [email protected]
MEDIA CONTACT:
Abdullah Alimirah
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