Ethiopia frees opposition leaders from prison, announces dialogue - The Jerusalem Post

Ethiopia has freed several opposition leaders from prison, the state broadcaster reported on Friday, as the government said it would begin dialogue with political opponents after 14 months of war when thousands of people have been arrested.

The move to free leaders from several ethnic groups is the most significant breakthrough since war broke out in the northern Tigray region, threatening the unity of Africa's second-most populous state.

Some leaders of the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), the party fighting Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's central government, are among those freed.

"The key to lasting peace is dialogue," a statement from the government communications office said. "One of the moral obligations of a victor is mercy.".....REUTERS