The Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) has laid out strict conditions that need to be met before it can engage in any talks with the Ethiopian federal government about a ceasefire, reported Reuters.
“As long as we have a foolproof guarantee that the security of our people will not be compromised by the second round of invasions, we accept a ceasefire in principle,” a statement signed by the TPLF said on Sunday.
“However, before a ceasefire agreement is formalized, the following thorny issues must be resolved,” the statement added.
The conditions include the withdrawal of Eritrean forces as well as fighters from the neighboring Ethiopian region of Amhara, who have been supporting the Ethiopian army during the eight-month-long conflict.
The rebel authorities have also called for procedures to hold Prime Minister Abiy and President Issaias Aferworki to account for the massive damage caused in the region, as well as the formation of an independent investigation body by the United Nations to probe the horrific crimes carried out during the conflict.
The list also includes humanitarian aid and the safe return of all the displaced people to Tigray.
Tigray has been the center of fighting since the Ethiopian Prime Minister, Abiy Ahmed, launched a military operation in early November to topple the regional authorities. Abiy, who won the 2019 Nobel peace prize winner, accused the rebel group of orchestrating attacks on Ethiopian military bases.
On Monday, the TPLF recaptured Mekele in Tigray, held by the Ethiopian army since November. The federal government declared a unilateral ceasefire immediately, but the rebel forces declared the ceasefire announcement as a joke and vowed to continue fighting.
On Friday, the UN warned that over 400,000 people in Tigray are currently facing famine and there is a risk of more violent clashes in the region despite the Ethiopian government’s ceasefire announcement.
