Ethiopia and Tigray separatists agree to end civil war

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The Ethiopian government and separatist forces in the Tigray region reached an agreement, this Wednesday (2), on a ceasefire in the north of the country, where conflicts have lasted for two years with thousands of deaths and reports of crimes of war. The pact was signed in Pretoria, South Africa, and mediated by the African Union, a group that brings together nations on the continent.

“The two parties to the Ethiopian conflict have formally agreed to the cessation of hostilities as well as systematic, orderly, smooth and coordinated disarmament,” Olusegun Obasanjo, head of the African Union’s mediation team, said at a ceremony.

He added that the agreement includes the “restoration of law, order and services, unrestricted access to humanitarian supplies and the protection of civilians, especially women, children and other vulnerable groups”. The announcement was received with surprise by the international community, which saw difficulties for an eventual agreement between the parties.

The Ethiopian government’s chief negotiator, Redwan Hussein, confirmed the ceasefire and said “it is now up to everyone to honor it”. The talks were also confirmed by the leader of the separatist forces, who called the concessions painful, yet necessary for an end to the death and large-scale destruction in the region.

Wednesday’s talks, however, did not include the Eritrean government or other regional forces supporting Addis Ababa in the conflict. Their presence would be crucial to confirming the deal; Eritrean forces are accused of the worst abuses in the war, including gang rape, murder and looting. The Associated Press, for example, reported that on Wednesday several women in the city of Adwa were raped by Eritrean soldiers and some were seriously injured – the information comes from a humanitarian source who gave anonymity.

When contacted by the agency, neither the Eritrean government nor regional forces commented on the truce. Eritrea is a neighboring country of Ethiopia that borders the Tigris region; the nation supports Addis Ababa’s troops, with soldiers assisting in military actions.

Regardless of the Eritrean truce in the war, UN Secretary General António Guterres signed the agreement and said it was a first step “to bring some solace to the millions of Ethiopian civilians who have suffered greatly during this conflict”. The negotiations were also praised by the US.

Now, the biggest challenge is to bring humanitarian aid to Tigré, where lines of communication and transport have been cut since the beginning of the conflict. The region lacks basic medicines, such as vaccines, insulin and therapeutic foods.

Due to a lack of supplies, doctors reportedly resort to using saline solutions and cloths to treat patients’ wounds. “We’re back to 18th century surgery,” a health worker at the region’s top hospital told The Associated Press. According to the UN, almost 90% of people in Tigré need help. Malnutrition affects between 16% and 28% of children and about 50% of pregnant and lactating women.

United Nations human rights investigators said the Ethiopian government uses “civilian hunger” as a weapon of war, which Addis Ababa disputes. Ironically, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2019 for his conciliatory stance and efforts to end the war that began in the 1990s with neighboring Eritrea – now his ally in the conflict.

In a speech on Wednesday, ahead of the announcement of the deal, Ahmed defended efforts to establish peace in the region. “We are ending the war and now we will bring peace and development,” he said.

Even in October, however, the prime minister’s attitudes sounded contradictory. At the time, his government and separatist forces announced a ceasefire, but days later Addis Ababa confirmed the retaking of Shire, one of the largest cities in the north of the country, which was under the control of the Tigre People’s Liberation Front (TPLF).

Ahmed, by the way, is the protagonist of the current conflict. The first Oromo to assume power, he is accused of persecuting the Tigris, who ruled Ethiopia for three decades. Since taking office in 2018, he has been implementing liberal reforms, but has also run afoul of the TPLF. For Tigré’s leaders, Ahmed’s projects aim at centralizing power and, consequently, ending the loss of regional autonomy — one of the political pillars of recent decades in the country.

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