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5:33 a.m. – Civilian airlines have announced that they will be resuming operations at the Addis Ababa airport, in light of the recent ceasefire between government forces and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front near the capital.

The United Nations Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa has announced that his office has begun preliminary discussions with the governments of Ethiopia, Eritrea, and Kenya as well as with representatives of the African Union, to arrange a summit for further negotiations between the government of Ethiopia and the TPLF. 

In a press statement, the Special Envoy thanked the United Nations Security Council for their work on the situation in Ethiopia and described Security Council Resolution 4 as, “the critical first step on the path to lasting peace.”

In other news, the United Nations Credentials Committee has released a statement on the matter of the representation of Afghanistan in the United Nations. The Committee announced that it had decided to table the matter for discussion at a future meeting.

5:32 a.m. – Resolution SC/4 passes 13-1-0. It calls for an immediate ceasefire, a withdrawal of TPFL and foreign troops and the establishment of a United Nations High Commissioner for Democracy in Ethiopia (UNHCDE) to ensure free and fair elections.

4:59 a.m. – Norway on topic of possible resolution: “Norway deeply regrets that there will be no affirmative mechanism for peace and further reaffirms our regret that our expressions of concern for affirmative peace are deemed irrelevant by the Council and United Kingdom.”

4:41 a.m. – Reports of Eritrean troops massing on Ethiopia’s border with support from Chinese military personnel; “invasion is a mischaracterization,” a Representative of China states.

4:11 a.m. – Representatives are drafting a resolution that would consist of a no-fly zone and a demilitarized zone (DMZ) with oversight from the African Union and Security Council. Norway is deeply concerned that China will veto unless Eritrea promises military escalation, stating China’s willingness to “fight fire with fire rather than reaching the bucket of water sitting right next to them” is regrettable. China responded: “It is not the role of the United Nations to broker a peace treaty in a situation where no one is seeking peace. We cannot force peace on those who do not want it. We find the notion of a DMZ laughable in its naïveté.”

3:36 a.m. – On whether Eritrea would accept a division of Ethiopia in a peace settlement: “We will not allow the region to fall into instability. We fought too hard and too long for peace.” The Eritrean Representative said they were “very concerned” about reports of Ethiopian military personnel defecting to the rebels; “We cannot stress enough how worried we are about this Council’s reports about the situation on the ground.”

3:04 a.m. – Norway notes that elements in the council are concerned about evacuating their own people out of the area to remove non-essential actors from the conflict until parties to the dispute can be called in. Norway has made a call to action for the resolution of conflict to the council. Norway “will stand behind Eritrea given our connection.”

2:58 a.m. – A Representative for Eritrea states: “This will be a war that does not end. Change should be made at the ballot box, not with guns. We have troops ready at the border to stabilize the situation.”

2:50 a.m. – Thousands of demonstrators rallied in cities around the world, waving Ethiopian and Eritrean flags and accusing Western governments of attempting to overthrow the Ethiopian government through the Tigray People’s Liberation Front. 

Protestors in Washington, D.C. and London pointed to recent reports in the Chronicle that the United States and United Kingdom had admitted to having intelligence operatives in Ethiopia as a sign of conspiracy.

Members of the crowd also told Chronicle reporters that Western media outlets had disseminated false information, exaggerating the successes of the TPLF and overstated the threat to the capital of Addis Ababa.

In Eritrea, several large blasts rocked the capital city of Asmara. After initial social media posts reported the explosions, the Tigray People’s Liberation Front issued a statement claiming responsibility. The TPLF claimed to have targeted Eritrean military facilities with short-range ballistic missiles, in response to the Eritrean mobilization on the border with Tigray. The statement concluded by saying, “the Tigray Defense Forces will make a maximum effort, using all available means, in order to prevent another genocidal assault on the Tigray people by the mercenary butchers of Eritrea.”

2:20 a.m. – A representative for the Tigray People’s Liberation Front called in as a party to the dispute states, “our forces are boxed in. No humanitarian aid can get through to civilians. I believe this ground blockade speaks to the Ethiopian government’s aims.” The spokesperson also stated that they would not cease their campaign without a guarantee of fair elections before they will be willing to remove their military posture.” The TPLF looks favorably on the Security Council’s interest in sending humanitarian aid as well as attempts to remove civilians from the area.

2:05 a.m. – United States Representative announces to the Security Council that it has lost contact with intelligence operatives in Addis Ababa.

1:15 a.m. – The Council adopted a presidential statement: “The Security Council, recognizing the high level of risk to civilian aviation in the region, advises states to establish a civilian no-fly zone over the horn of Africa (Ethiopia, Eritrea, Djibouti, and Somalia). This is in direct response to the firing on a Lufthansa flight at the Addis Ababa International Airport, and the mobilization of military forces in the region.”

1 a.m. – Following surface to air fire near a Lufthansa aircraft, all commercial passenger airlines have suspended operations at Addis Ababa Bole International Airport. Tewolde Gebremariam, CEO of Ethiopian Airlines stated “As Africa’s largest airport, this is bound to impact transportation throughout the continent.”

Social Media posts indicate that Eritrean troops have started massing south of of Adi Keyh. These posts indicate dozens of Armoured Personnel Carriers are massing with unknown intent.

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