Chief mediator Olusegun Obasanjo in Pretoria on Wednesday
Image: AFP
The African Union mediator, Olusegun Obasanjo, speaks of a new era that is now beginning for Ethiopia. The agreement signed by both parties to the civil war will start the peace process.
Dhe parties to the Ethiopian civil war have agreed on a ceasefire almost two years after the fighting began. A new era is now beginning in Ethiopia, said African Union (AU) mediator Olusegun Obasanjo on Wednesday in Pretoria, South Africa. The agreement signed by both parties to the civil war will start the peace process. This will enable the return to law and order and clear the way for humanitarian aid. The representative of the Ethiopian government demanded that everyone must now adhere to the spirit of the agreement. A spokesman for the rebels from the province of Tigray assured them that they were ready to walk the path of peace.
The peace talks began about a week ago in South Africa. Leading African states, like the US and the European Union, had called for a ceasefire and the start of negotiations to avert further suffering from civilians. The fighting that broke out in November 2020 stems from long-standing rivalries between regional powers vying for supremacy in Ethiopia.
The rebels of the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) accuse Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed of centralizing power at the expense of Ethiopia’s regions. Abiy denies this and in return accuses the TPLF of wanting to regain power in the country. The TPLF was the dominant force in the state until Abiy was elected Prime Minister in 2018. Fighting in Africa’s second most populous country has displaced millions, thousands of civilians have been killed and parts of Tigray are starving.
