Ethiopia, TPLF commanders meet in Nairobi over peace deal

Image

NAIROBI, Kenya - Top Tigray People's Liberation Front [TPLF] commanders and senior Ethiopian government representatives have started meeting in Nairobi over the implementation of the peace deal which was signed last month under the stewardship of the African Union Commission [AUC].

The commanders and the Ethiopian government officers are meeting in the Moran Training Center within Karen in Nairobi where they will be reviewing the peace accord which was signed by both parties in Pretoria last month under the watch of AU envoy Olusegun Obasanjo.

During the three-day consultative meeting, the two sides are expected to discuss the outcome document on the implementation of the disarmament process, finalization and adoption of the Terms of Reference [ToRs] for the AU monitoring, verification, and compliance mechanism and next steps in the implementation of the permanent CoHA, according to the program schedule.

Former Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta, AU high-level members, the US government, and the IGAD will be attending the meeting as part of the mediation delegation. The mediation teams have warned against violation of the peace deal, noting that those responsible will face sanctions.

Ethiopia's federal government had recently warned to take “necessary measures” to protect Tigrayan civilians subjected to what it said was “organized crimes” and “robbery” in areas its forces are not in control of, including the capital Mekelle.

“The Government of Ethiopia wants to underline that these criminals will be held accountable,” the statement said, adding the government will take “all necessary measures to safeguard the security of the people in those areas and discharge its responsibilities.”

But in a rebuttal, TPLF leader Debretsion Gebremichael maintained that his side was committed to the implementation of the accord, maintaining that the government ought to persuade Eritrean troops to vacate from Tigray territories which they have continued to occupy with unfathomable impunity.

“People residing in areas occupied by the Eritrean and the Amhara forces are not getting aid properly, even in areas where the federal government has been distributing aid, only people in the cities get the aid, yet many people in the countryside do not get any help,” he said.

Several reports also show that both Eritrean and Amhara forces are committing atrocity crimes against Tigrayan civilians in the areas they occupied.

Under “Disarmament of Tigray armed combatants,” on the Declaration on the Modalities for the Implementation of the Pretoria agreement, which was signed in Nairobi on November 12, article 2.1/D, stated that “disarmament of heavy weapons will be done concurrently with the withdrawal of foreign and non-ENDF forces from the region.”

TPLF maintains that over 65 percent of her troops have disengaged from Amhara and Afar regions where they had taken over. The two-year-old conflict has left thousands dead and millions displaced but there is hope that the peace deal will be obeyed by both parties for the stability of the larger Ethiopia.

GAROWE ONLINE

Related Articles

Al-shabaab strikes in Mandera, Kenya

Al-shabaab militants have struck Mandera town in northeastern Kenya for the first time in as many months.

  • Africa

    25-03-2024

  • 07:00PM

Why Al-Shabaab attacks increased in Kenya

On the other hand, it was highlighted that most of the terror attacks were being witnessed in areas near the Kenya-Somalia border.

  • Africa

    20-03-2024

  • 10:52AM