Tigray and Amhara leaders reconcile in Ethiopia

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia - After several months of animosity and cruelty within Ethiopia, the leadership of Tigray and Amhara have agreed to bury the hatchet for the sake of peace and development in the country, in what could boost efforts by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed to reconcile the national and regional leadership.

During the Tigray war, Amhara forces were accused of working closely with the Ethiopian National Defense Forces [ENDF] to launch attacks in northern parts of the country, just before a truce was reached in Nairobi and South Africa under the stewardship of former presidents Uhuru Kenyatta and Olusegun Obasanjo.

Amhara regional governor Yilkal Kefale and Tigray’s interim leader, Getachew Reda, made the pledge during talks in Amhara's capital, Bahir Dar while observing the need to engage in state-building. The Tigray War ended in November after the signing of the historic agreement in Pretoria.

The two leaders said they would work towards re-opening road transport between Tigray and Amhara, which offers the shortest route between Tigray and Addis Ababa. Reda, a former minister in the government of Ethiopia, was the spokesperson of the Tigray People's Liberation Front [TPLF] before being picked as the interim leader.

Ahmed, who has been integral in pushing for economic prosperity, won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2019 following his intervention to solve the standoff between Addis Ababa and Asmara which was several decades old. Since then, he has been struggling to fix internal issues necessitated by monumental changes.

Before assuming powers, Ethiopia was more of an authoritarian regime, which cut off several people from democratic space. Despite the internal challenges, Abiy Ahmed has been lauded for embracing democracy and inclusivity in his administration, leading to economic success.

Across the region, Ethiopia has been making headlines in the construction of the Grand Renaissance Dam along the Blue Nile, rattling Sudan and Egypt in the process. When the dam is fully functional, it is anticipated that it will be the main supplier of hydroelectric power across the Horn of Africa.

GAROWE ONLINE