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News > Ethiopia

Ethiopian Government and Rebels Agree to Ceasefire

  • Armed men at the Tigray region, Ethiopia, 2022.

    Armed men at the Tigray region, Ethiopia, 2022. | Photo: Twitter/ @LivePretoria

Published 3 November 2022
Opinion

The "Pretoria Deal" includes restoring services and unhindered access to humanitarian supplies.

On Wednesday, the Ethiopian government and the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) announced an agreement to end a two-year-long conflict in Northern Ethiopia.

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The peace accord was signed in Pretoria (South Africa), days after an African Union (AU)-led negotiation, which was facilitated by Olusegun Obasanjo, the AU high representative for the Horn of Africa, along with the former president of Kenya Uhuru Kenyatta, and former deputy president of South Africa Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka.

The two parties in the Ethiopian conflict have formally agreed to the cessation of hostilities and orderly disarmament, Obasanjo said, adding that the deal includes restoring law and order, restoring services and unhindered access to humanitarian supplies.

Ethiopia, Africa's second most populous nation, has seen a devastating conflict between government-allied troops and forces loyal to the TPLF since November 2020, which has left millions in urgent need of humanitarian assistance.

The peace talks, launched on Oct. 25, paved the way for restoring peace, security and stability in the Tigray region, the AU said in a statement.

"The agreement marks an important step in efforts to silence the guns, and provides a solid foundation for the preservation of Ethiopia's sovereignty and territorial integrity, the immediate cessation of hostilities, the resumption of unhindered humanitarian access, the restoration of services as well as healing and reconciliation," the statement read.

The High-Level Panel for the AU-led Ethiopian Peace Process congratulated and commended the parties for their "commitment, diligence and stellar leadership throughout the process, and for prioritizing the Ethiopian people and the supreme interests of the Ethiopian nation."

"As the country embarks on this next chapter in its great history, the Panel affirms its commitment and readiness to continue accompanying the process towards a more democratic, just and inclusive Ethiopia in which youth, women and men participate fully and in peace," the statement read.

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