By John Ikani
Tigrayan rebels have begun handing over heavy weapons, fulfilling a key aspect of the peace agreement signed in November 2020 to end the conflict in northern Ethiopia.
According to a tweet by the spokesperson for Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), Getachew Reda, the handover of heavy weapons took place in the town of Agulae and was overseen by a monitoring team made up of representatives from both sides and a regional body, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD).
“Tigray has handed over its heavy weapons as part of its commitment to implementing the #Pretoria agreement” that was signed between Ethiopia’s government and Tigrayan rebels, Reda tweeted Wednesday.
“We hope & expect this will go a long way in expediting the full implementation of the agreement. We hope & expect!”
The conflict broke out in November 2020, when Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed ordered the army to arrest Tigrayan leaders who had been challenging his authority and were accused of attacking federal military bases.
The fighting created dire conditions for hundreds of thousands of Tigray’s population, killed thousands, and displaced millions.
The demobilization of Tigray forces is a central component of the ceasefire agreement, which also includes the restoration of services and humanitarian aid, as well as the withdrawal of Eritrean troops, who had fought alongside Ethiopia’s army but were not a party to the truce.
Humanitarian operations have been ramped up since the peace deal, but the amount of food and medical aid being delivered remains far below the enormous needs.
Mekelle was connected to the national power grid on 6 December and Ethiopia’s main bank CBE said on 19 December that it was resuming operations in some towns. Telephone communications with the region have begun to be restored.
