Ethiopian crisis: Federal Government delegation heads to Tigray capital as peace deal holds
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (PANA) - A delegation of officials of the Federal Government has left for Mekelle, the capital of Tigray region, as Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed says he is hopeful of the implementation of the 2 November peace agreement between the Federal government and the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF).
The state-owned Ethiopian News Agency (ENA) quoted the Government Communication Service as saying the delegation, led by the Speaker of the House of Peoples’ Representatives, Tagesse Chafo, would oversee "the implementation of major issues in the peace agreement as per the set plan".
Members of the National Dialogue Commission are part of the delegation, ENA said.
This is the first high level Federal Government body heading to Mekelle in two years during which a bitter war raged in northern Ethiopia between the Ethiopia National Defence Force and TPLF fighters.
This comes after the Federal Government held a meeting on Sunday in Addis Ababa attended by Prime Minister Abiy to review the progress of the Pretoria Cessation of Hostilities Agreement.
“The implementation is hopeful and we remain steadfast in our commitment to peace,” the Prime Minister said on Facebook.
ENA said the presence of the Federal Government delegation in Mekelle is a testament that the peace agreement is on the "right track and progressing".
Humanitarian aid has been flowing into Tigray while essential services such as electricity and telecommunication are being restored.
The Cessation of Hostilities agreement was signed in Pretoria, South Africa, on 2 November after AU-led talks brokered by former President of Nigeria, Olusegun Obasanjo, former South African Deputy President, Dr. Phumuzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, and former Kenyan President, Uhuru Kenyatta.
Under the deal, they agreed to a permanent ceasefire and peaceful resolution of the conflict.
Subsequently, military commanders of Ethiopia and the TPLF also signed an agreement in Nairobi, Kenya, under which they made a commitment to unhindered humanitarian access and clarification of cessation of hostilities implementing arrangements.
The Ethiopian conflict started on 3 November, 2020 when the TPLF forces attacked the Federal forces in Mekelle and Prime Minister Abiy responded the following day.
There was a five-month lull in the fighting, but hostilities resumed again on 24 August.
The fighting has claimed thousands of lives, displaced millions, destroyed livelihoods and created a huge humanitarian problem amidst allegations of human rights violations, including possible war crimes.
-0- PANA MA 26Dec2022
