Despite peace deal, Eritrean troops remain active in Tigray conflict

ADDIS ABABA - After months of denial, accusations, and counter-accusations, the government of Ethiopia has conceded that s number of Eritrean troops have been actively involved in the war in the Tigray region, probably putting to rest a debate that has been emanating in serious peace forums.

For months, the United Nations and other partners have accused Eritrea of being an obstacle in reconciling warring parties in Ethiopia, but Asmara has often remained silent over the allegations. Ethiopia has always been denying the engagement of Eritrea soldiers in the two-year-old war.

Earlier this month when the country was commemorating the second anniversary since the war broke out, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres demanded "immediate withdrawal and disengagement of Eritrean troops" from Western and Eastern Tigray while calling for both parties to embrace a ceasefire.

A senior US State Department official confirmed that the recently reached Nairobi agreement over the peace deal was "the first acknowledgment that there are Eritrean forces operating inside of Ethiopia -- and there is now a clear understanding that they are to withdraw."

The talks were first held in the Republic of South Africa but there was no direct mention of the roles of Eritrea soldiers in the Tigray war. The latest agreement signed in Nairobi, the official confirmed, spells out the withdrawal of Eritrean forces from Tigray, a process that ought to start immediately.

The Nairobi agreement requires the withdrawal of "foreign forces" from Tigray and this obviously refers to Eritrean forces, who had been linked to the massacre which left thousands of people dead and millions displaced from their homes, in a war where children and women are the most affected.

Isaias Afwerki, the president of Eritrea, has reportedly been supporting embattled Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed by dispatching troops to Tigray in the pretext of pursuing the Tigray People's Liberation Front [TPLF]. The Eritrean strongman has been in power since 1993 and is accused of authoritarianism.

Last year, a report published by the UN Special rapporteur to Eritrea confirmed that indeed the Eritrea troops and their Somali counterparts training in Asmara had crossed over to Tigray where they perpetrated serious crimes. However, both Somalia and Ethiopia denied the claims, accusing the rapporteur of bias.

This week, and for the second time in as many months, Somalia President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud visited the over 5000 soldiers who are undergoing training in Eritrea. The president didn't immediately reveal when they are likely to leave but plans are underway to repatriate them to Somalia.

Although it was not immediately clear how many Eritrean soldiers have been fighting in Tigray, TPLF alleges that the number is "extremely high" but could not disclose. The TPLF has been confronting both the Ethiopian National Defense Forces [ENDF] and the Amhara regional militia along with the Eritrean army.

The peace accord in Nairobi was made successful by the African Union envoy for Horn of Africa Olusegun Obasanjo and former Kenya President Uhuru Kenyatta, who encouraged both parties to embrace a ceasefire. The meeting I'm Nairobi brought together senior military officials from both Tigray and Ethiopia.

Already, reports indicate that humanitarian teams can access even the remote villages of Tigray, a move which will definitely the starvation. The government of Ethiopia has been facing a myriad of challenges but the Tigray war almost led to its expulsion from the international community organizations.

GAROWE ONLINE