Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed on Tuesday told parliament that the ceasefire agreement between his government and the Tigrayan forces would be implemented honestly, reported The Africa News.
The two factions agreed to a deal in Kenya on Saturday that calls for the full implementation of the truce reached between the warring sides a few weeks ago in South Africa.
“We have moved one step forward. We have discussed, agreed and signed. The next thing expected from us will be to implement honestly what we have promised to make the peace sustainable,” Abiy told Ethiopia’s national parliament.
He said there was no such thing as a good war or a bad peace, and that war was always bad. The Ethiopian prime minister added that the agreement was necessary to ensure that peace in the northern Tigray region would be sustainable.
The war began in November 2020 when Prime Minister Abiy sent troops in to topple the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) in their regional stronghold after accusing it of attacking federal army camps. The TPLF had dominated Ethiopian politics for nearly three decades until Abiy came to power in 2018.
It is hoped the ceasefire deal will bring an end to the brutal two-year conflict between the federal government and the TPLF, which has left thousands dead, millions displaced, and hundreds of thousands facing famine.
Under the implementation deal, the two sides pledged to allow unhindered humanitarian aid into Tigray. The deal also made it explicit that disarmament would happen alongside foreign and other forces, excluding the Ethiopian army, withdrawing from the region. Troops from neighbouring Eritrea have fought on the side of the Ethiopian army.
In related news, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) confirmed on Tuesday that a medical aid convoy had arrived in the war-ravaged Tigray region, following the peace deal.
