Ethiopia's protracted civil war, which has persisted for nearly two years, has now initiated formal peace negotiations, marking a pivotal development.
The conflict in Ethiopia's northern Tigray region has resulted in substantial casualties and triggered a dire humanitarian crisis. Both the federal government and Tigrayan forces have faced allegations of war crimes and egregious acts. The talks are being mediated by an African Union team, led by Nigeria’s former President Olusegun Obasanjo, supported by Kenya’s former leader Uhuru Kenyatta and South Africa’s ex-Vice President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka.
The talks have been "convened to find a peaceful and sustainable solution to the devastating conflict in the Tigray region" and will end on Sunday, Vincent Magwenya, spokesman for President Cyril Ramaphosa told reporters.
In a statement released Wednesday evening, Abiy Ahmed, Ethiopia’s prime minister, described the agreement as “monumental”. He said: “Our commitment to peace remains steadfast and our commitment to collaborating for the implementation of the agreement is equally strong.”
Abiy added that he wanted to thank “the brave members” of the Ethiopian national defence forces and “the courageous people of this nation that stood a testing period”.
The Ethiopian government has not granted journalists access to Tigray since June 2021. Specific details of the negotiations remain undisclosed.
Redwan Hussein, the lead negotiator for Ethiopia’s government, said: “It is now for all of us to honour this agreement.” His Tigrayan counterpart, Getachew Reda, agreed, and noted that “painful concessions” had been made.
A blockade on Tigray, coupled with disrupted communications, has exacerbated the food crisis and hampered reporting on the extent of the conflict. The conflict originated in November 2020 when federal Ethiopian forces sought to regain control of the Tigray region from the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF). Blockades ensued as TPLF mounted a counter-offensive, recapturing much of Tigray last year.
Source: BBC. "Ethiopia civil war: Warring sides begin peace talks". https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-63384278. 25/10/22. [Date accessed: 26/10/22]
Edited by: Adithya Balachander
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