TRUCE AGREED

…warring Ethiopian government and Tigray forces sign landmark agreement to ‘silence the guns’

JOHANNESBURG - After 10 days of what was described as “intense” peace talks, a cessation of hostilities agreement was signed on Wednesday between the Ethiopian government and the Tigray People’s Liberation Force ( TPLF) to end the war in the northern Ethiopian region of Tigray.

The agreement to stop ongoing killings came two years after the start of the war that claimed the lives of hundreds of thousands of Ethiopians.

The agreement was signed at the African Union-facilitated talks held in Pretoria, which were led by former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo and included former Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta and former South African deputy president

Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka.

“Today is the beginning of a new dawn for Ethiopia, for the Horn of Africa and indeed for Africa as a whole. Let me hasten to thank God for this new dawn. We are seeing in practice and actualisation what we have tried to achieve for ourselves over the years - African solutions for African problems,” Obasanjo said at the signing of the agreement.

As part of the agreement, both sides agreed to end the ongoing conflict, which researchers have said claimed the lives of close to half a million people in two years.

“The two parties in the Ethiopian conflict have formally agreed to the cessation of hostilities as well as to systematic, orderly, smooth, and coordinated disarmament, restoration of law and order, restoration of services, unhindered access to humanitarian supplies, protection of civilians especially women, children, and other vulnerable groups, among other areas of agreement.

The agreement also takes care of assurance of security for all concerned within and outside Ethiopia,” Obasanjo said.