On Wednesday 2 November a peace deal brokered by the African Union and former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo was reached . Negotiations started on 25 October in Johannesburg and concluded after 10 days. The agreement provides for immediate disarmament, the interruption of all forms of conflict and hostile propaganda, and obliges the parties involved to allow access to humanitarian organizations. The Ethiopian government has also undertaken to restore public services in the Tigray region, in northern Ethiopia, where communications and transport have been interrupted since the outbreak of the conflict.
The war stems from a catastrophic breakdown in relations between the Tigray Popular Liberation Front (TPLF), a guerrilla movement turned political party that dominated Ethiopia for 27 years, and President Abiy. The clash of these two factions led to one of the worst ongoing conflicts in the world. A grave humanitarian crisis that has left more than 5 million people without food, according to the World Food Programme (WFP).
World leaders are reacting optimistically after the announcement of the deal. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres praised the parties and mediators for reaching a cessation of hostilities, promising the full support of the United Nations. The head of foreign affairs of the European Union, Joseph Borrell, insisted on the need for "a rapid implementation of the agreement" and underlined the need to "resume humanitarian access in all affected areas and restore basic services" . US Secretary of State Antony Blinken praised the African Union for "its extraordinary efforts to bring peace to northern Ethiopia".
To read more, visit:
- https://moderndiplomacy.eu/2022/11/06/ethiopia-peace-agreement-between-government-and-tigray-a-critical-first-step/ l
- https://gazettengr.com/un-praises-obasanjo-for-facilitating-ethiopia-tigray-peace-deal%EF%BF%BC/
- https://www.vox.com/world/2022/11/3/23438725/ethiopia-tigray-peace-deal-cessation-hostilities
by Jasmine Label
