This file photo shows Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed (Front) addressing an event to honor Ethiopian police forces in Meskel Square in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on June 5, 2022. (Xinhua/Michael Tewelde)
Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has hailed the peace accord signed between the Ethiopian government and the regional Tigray forces (TPLF), describing it as "monumental."
ADDIS ABABA, Nov. 3 (Xinhua) -- Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has hailed the peace accord signed between the Ethiopian government and the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), describing it as "monumental."
"The agreement signed today in South Africa is monumental in moving Ethiopia forward on the path of the reforms we embarked upon four and half years ago," Ahmed said in a statement issued late Wednesday. "Our commitment to peace remains steadfast, and our commitment to collaborating for the implementation of the agreement is equally strong."
On Wednesday evening, the Ethiopian government and the TPLF announced an agreement to end the two-year-long conflict in Northern Ethiopia.
The two sides signed the peace accord in South Africa after days of negotiations led by the African Union (AU). The negotiations were facilitated by Olusegun Obasanjo, the AU high representative for the Horn of Africa and former president of Nigeria, along with the former president of Kenya Uhuru Kenyatta, and former deputy president of South Africa Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka.
Ahmed commended the AU and its peace envoys for the success of the peace talks, as well as Moussa Faki Mahamat, Chairperson of the AU Commission, for spearheading the AU's principled position of African solutions to African problems.
"I would like to express appreciation to friends of Ethiopia that have taken an active role in supporting the conclusion of this agreement," Ahmed said. "We count on your continued support in reconstructing conflict-affected areas in the Northern part of the country and an enhanced partnership with Ethiopia in our countrywide development endeavors."
Addressing a press briefing on the outcomes of the AU-led negotiations, Obasanjo said the two parties in the Ethiopian conflict have formally agreed to the cessation of hostilities as well as the systematic, orderly, smooth, and coordinated disarmament.
The peace accord also includes the restoration of law and order, restoration of services as well as unhindered access to humanitarian supplies, he said.
Ethiopia, Africa's second most populous nation, has seen a devastating conflict between government-allied troops and forces loyal to the TPLF since November 2020, which has left millions in urgent need of humanitarian assistance. ■
