The Tigrayan forces fighting the Ethiopian military have announced that they have withdrawn from neighboring regions in northern Ethiopia, reported Africa News. The announcement hints towards a possible ceasefire between the warring sides after major territorial gains by the Ethiopian military.
“We have decided to withdraw from these areas to Tigray. We want to open the door to humanitarian aid,” said Getachew Reda, spokesman for the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF).
Until now, the Tigrayan rebel forces have described a withdrawal from Amhara and Afar regions, demanded by the Ethiopian government as a prerequisite for negotiations, as unfeasible.
Both sides claimed major territorial advances in late October with several key cities apparently changing hands in the weeks since.
Getachew said the TPLF forces are conducting phase-by-phase withdrawals and have already started withdrawal from some of the regions a few weeks ago. He informed that the rebels have left Lalibela, classified as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
The war between the Ethiopian troops and Tigrayan forces began in November last year after Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed ordered the army to invade the northern region of Tigray to oust local TPLF forces, whom he accused of attacking military bases.
Abiy Ahmed declared victory just three weeks later after the forces took control of regional capital Mekele. In June, the TPLF regained control of most of Tigray and then advanced into the neighboring regions of Afar and Amhara. The Ethiopian military launched an offensive in November that forced the Tigrayan forces to move back hundreds of kilometers.
According to the UN, the conflict has left thousands of people dead, displaced more than two million, and forced hundreds of thousands of Ethiopians to live in near-starvation conditions.
On Friday, the UN announced establishing an independent investigation body into rights abuses in Ethiopia – a move strongly opposed by the Ethiopian government.
