Obasanjo’s office rejects bias allegations over Ethiopia–Tigray mediation

Olusegun Obasanjo’s office rejected allegations that his mediation between Ethiopia’s federal government and Tigray leaders favours Addis Ababa, in a statement dated September 7, 2026, reported by The Reporter on September 8.

The office said suggestions that the former Nigerian president was acting on instructions from one side misrepresented his mandate and his meetings. It also argued that a mediator should protect confidential discussions rather than disclose them publicly.

The response followed criticism of Obasanjo’s independence and the substance of his peace initiative. Addis Standard, in a September 7 report republished by AllAfrica, said the Tigray People’s Liberation Front had issued a statement on September 6 questioning his neutrality, the follow-up to earlier meetings and the absence of concrete proposals. The TPLF said it remained willing to participate in credible dialogue led by an impartial mediator.

These are competing assessments of the mediation process; the allegations of bias have not been independently established. The Reporter said Obasanjo has been conducting shuttle diplomacy between Addis Ababa and Mekelle since June to help prevent renewed conflict and support implementation of the Pretoria peace agreement, which ended the 2020–2022 war.

His office called for close international attention to the situation and efforts to prevent a return to war. The latest exchange concerns confidence in the mediator; neither report announced a new peace agreement.