After two years of warfare, Ethiopia and Tigray call it quits. Hundreds of thousands of people died as a result of the war.
Each nation halts all acts of hostility against the other as part of the agreement. The meeting between Ethiopia and Tigray went well, according to the South African envoy Olusegun Obasanjo, and the two countries decided to “orderly, smooth and coordinated disarm,” as well as to reestablish the peace and order of their respective borders and restore basic social services. Furthermore, the provision of humanitarian aid to the citizens of all nations should be allowed to continue unhindered.
Ethiopia’s chief negotiator, Redwan Hussein, declared they would adhere to the agreement. The other party should “honor” the agreement, he also hopes. The representative for Tigray, Getachew Reda, reaffirmed the same thoughts. He emphasized the need to finish their “painful” war. ‘Immense level of destruction,’ claims Redwan, caused by the war, which turned two years last Friday.
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The conflict between Ethiopia and Tigray
Despite supporting Ethiopia in the conflict, Eritrea must still reply to the most recent development. Eritrea was cut out of the peace negotiations, so the parties must guarantee that Eritrea accepts the new conditions. Currently, Ethiopia and Tigray expect the government’s response.
The Amhara region, which is close by, engages in conflict with Tigray forces beside Eritrea. Amhara did not participate in peace negotiations like Eritrea. This aggravates the situation. The agreement’s effectiveness depends on how the parties to the protracted war adhere to its provisions.
“Amharas cannot be expected to abide by any outcome of a negotiations process from which they think they are excluded,” said the Amhara Association of America chairman, Tewodrose Terfi.
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Opening the services to the affected
The Tigrayan government is anxious about how to resume services, particularly healthcare, quickly. A lot of illnesses became more complicated due to the conflict, which caused permanent damage to the health system. Vaccines, therapeutic supplements, and insulin are reportedly in short supply in many healthcare facilities. In the interim, many people have died from illnesses and starvation. According to United Nations human rights investigators, the Ethiopian government allegedly used starvation as a weapon of war.
“We’re back to 18th-century surgery. It’s like an open-air prison. It entirely depends on what the government agrees to. If they genuinely give us access, we can start moving very quickly, in hours, not weeks,” said one source.
In November 2020, the war started. Originally, the war only involved Tigray and Ethiopia. However, as the conflict continued, the hostility spread to include Amhara and Afar. As a result, 101 civilians were killed, and 265 were injured in drone attacks and bombings in just two incidents during the middle of the war. But eventually, the worst transpired, and the nations yearned for vigor. The new agreement should give the nations and surrounding areas a second chance to get things going.
“We need to replicate the victory we got on the battlefield in peace efforts, too. So we are finalizing the war in northern Ethiopia with a victory. We will now bring peace and development,” said the prime minister of Ethiopia.
Photo Credit: AFP via Getty Images
Source: NPR
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