United Nations, Dec 25 (IANS): UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has welcomed the de-escalation gestures of the Ethiopian government and the Tigrayan forces in the conflict-hit northern region of the country.

The Secretary-General welcomed the Ethiopian government's announcement that its forces will pause at its current positions, as well as the Tigrayan forces' message that they had withdrawn from the Afar and Amhara regions back into Tigray, said Farhan Haq, deputy spokesman for Guterres, in a statement.

"The Secretary-General urges the parties to grasp this opportunity, cease hostilities in the year-long conflict, take all steps to ensure the provision of much-needed humanitarian assistance, the withdrawal of foreign fighters, and address political differences through a credible and inclusive national dialogue," Xinhua news agency quoted the statement as saying.

Guterres also called on the international community to play a constructive role in supporting an end to the fighting in northern Ethiopia, which broke out in Tigray in November 2020 before spilling over to neighbouring Afar and Amhara regions.