As relations between the two sides move closer to normalcy, mediators between Ethiopia’s federal government and the authorities in the Tigray region which were involved in a deadly conflict until last month are stepping up attempts to implement a truce.
The two-year conflict that killed tens of thousands of people and caused millions of people to flee their homes in the country in the Horn of Africa came to an end on November 2, but the deal’s implementation has taken longer than expected.
Humanitarian workers in Tigray claim troops from neighboring Eritrea are still deployed in many cities there, despite being required by the conditions of the peace to leave. This is despite the fact that millions of people in the region still need food assistance.
A monitoring team being formed by the mediators was anticipated to discuss the problem of Eritrean military as well as the restoration of services and humanitarian aid to Tigray.
According to Nuur Mohamud Sheekh, a spokesman for the regional Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), the mediators were congregating in Mekelle, the capital of Tigray.
A joint monitoring and verification team made up of representatives of the government, the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), and IGAD has been assigned after more than a month of delay, according to government national security adviser Redwan Hussien.
Leaders in Tigray have expressed dissatisfaction with the pace of forming the monitoring team and carrying out other peace terms.
In accordance with the terms of the truce, federal institutions like banks, the airport, and electrical and telecom infrastructures are being protected by federal officers who have entered Mekelle, according to the federal police.
State-owned Ethiopian Airlines, which had stopped operating for the previous 18 months, started operating again on Wednesday. Mekelle and 27 additional towns now have access to Ethio Telecom’s services, and the administration reports that humanitarian aid is increasing.
“We applaud the signing and launch of the African Union’s Monitoring, Verification and Compliance Mission (AU-MVCM) in Mekele, another important step toward securing lasting peace for the people of northern Ethiopia,” United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a written statement issued on Thursday.
“The United States stands ready to support the AU-MVCM and full implementation of the cessation of hostilities agreement (COHA), which includes disarmament of Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) combatants, withdrawal of Eritrean forces, unimpeded humanitarian access, resumption of essential services, and implementation of transitional justice,” Blinken said.