[ad_1]
Rebel leaders in Ethiopia’s war-torn region of Tigray on Sunday agreed to “a ceasefire in principle” but laid down strict conditions for it to be formalized.
These conditions included the withdrawal from the region of Eritrean forces as well as fighters from the neighboring Ethiopian region of Amhara, who supported the Ethiopian army during the eight months of conflict.
They also called for the restoration of their ousted Tigray government.
Tigray has been the scene of fighting since Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed sent the army last November to overthrow the dissident regional authorities, which emerged from the Popular Front for the Liberation of Tigray (TPLF).
Abiy, winner of the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize, accused them of orchestrating attacks on Ethiopian military bases.
After early successes and an untimely declaration of victory, government forces got bogged down in a vicious, months-long battle with pro-TPLF fighters – the Tigray Defense Forces, or TDF. The Ethiopian army was supported by troops from the neighboring region of Amhara and the army of Eritrea, which borders Tigray.
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) recently reported that Eritrean forces had largely withdrawn from Tigray and returned across the border.
“Foolproof guarantees”
On Monday, the TPLF retook Mekele, the Tigrayan capital, held by the Ethiopian army since November 28.
The Addis Ababa government immediately declared a unilateral ceasefire, but it was quickly called a “joke” by rebel forces, who vowed to continue fighting.
Now the rebels have agreed to a ceasefire in principle, but another of their conditions is the reestablishment of what Addis Ababa sees as the rebel government in Tigray.
The rebels said they demanded “rock-solid guarantees that the security of our people will not be compromised by a second round of invasions, we agree to a ceasefire in principle,” a signed statement said on Sunday. by the “government of Tigray”.
“However, before a ceasefire agreement is formalized, the following thorny issues must be resolved,” the text continues, before listing the conditions.
The rebel communiqué called for the resumption of the activities of the “democratically elected government in Tigray with all its constitutional powers and responsibilities”.
The United Nations and many governments have called for a ceasefire, especially to allow humanitarian aid to reach civilian populations.
“Thorny problems”
The rebel authorities are also calling for “procedures to hold (Ethiopian Prime Minister) Abiy Ahmed and (President) Issaias Aferworki accountable in direct proportion to the severity and extent of the damage they inflicted on Tigray”, as well. that the creation by the UN of an independent investigative body to investigate the “horrible crimes” committed during the conflict.
Other conditions are humanitarian, in particular the distribution of aid and the safe return to Tigray of the displaced persons.
Electricity and communications were cut in Tigray, flights were suspended and two crucial bridges for delivering aid were destroyed.
Ethiopia has dismissed accusations that it was considering blocking aid to Tigray after rebels took control of the northern region this week – a startling turnaround in the eight-month-old conflict.
The federal government did not respond to a request for a response from AFP, but it has always refused to open any dialogue with the leaders of the TPLF, calling the group a terrorist organization by parliamentary decree.
In a closed-door meeting with diplomats on Friday, Ethiopian leaders said the government was ready to hold an “inclusive dialogue to resolve the crisis in Tigray” while reiterating it would not deal with TPLF leaders .
According to the UN, more than 400,000 people have “crossed the threshold of famine” in Tigray and 1.8 million people are on the brink of famine.
Source link
