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Nearly two years after war broke out in Ethiopia’s Tigray region, the fighting is intensifying, and the interstate dimension to the conflict is as undeniable as ever. Peace talks between the Ethiopian government and Tigrayan leaders initially scheduled for October 8 in South Africa under AU auspices will start today, October 24 which has failed to gain any real traction to date in addressing the crisis under the leadership of former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo. Recently, Ethiopia's ruling party said that it wants the African Union in partnership with the USA to mediate to end the war with Tigrayan forces. On the other hand, the Tigray People's Liberation Front, says that it does not trust the AU and wants Kenya to mediate. For a perspective on where we are, why the issue of mediators is so important and current state of politics in Ethiopia, we speak to Thembisa Fakude about this.