– The peace agreement means a new day for Ethiopia, says a statement from the African Union (AU). Since Tuesday last week, the AU has led the negotiations between the two warring parties in South Africa. Today, the union was able to report a breakthrough. The Ethiopian government and the Tigray authorities have agreed on an organized, flexible and coordinated disarmament. But also the restoration of law, order and public services, as well as unimpeded access to humanitarian aid. The Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) calls the agreement a “new start”. – We are ready to get started and implement this agreement, says the chief negotiator for TPLF Getachew Reda. Here, the chief negotiator for the Ethiopian government, Redwan Hussein, and the chief negotiator for the TPLF, Getachew Reda, sign the agreement. Photo: PHILL MAGAKOE / AFP He also says that they have had to make painful concessions, but that it was necessary to build trust between the parties. The chief negotiator for the Ethiopian government emphasizes that the agreement must now be followed up. – It is now up to all of us to follow this agreement, says Redwan Hussein. Humanitarian crisis The war has lasted for two years and led to an enormous humanitarian crisis for the civilian population in Tigray. Thousands of people have lost their lives in the fighting, and several millions have had to flee their homes. There have also been reports of abuses against the civilian population and a major famine disaster due to a lack of emergency aid. In May 2021, a woman in Tigray in Ethiopia argued with others about how to distribute yellow peas. Since the war started, countries have been affected by a famine disaster. Photo: Ben Curtis / AP – It is important that all parties now contribute to the end of hostilities and that real and viable negotiations can follow. The messages from the negotiations in South Africa give hope for that, says Church Aid’s country director in Ethiopia, Eivind Aalborg to news. – In order to be able to reach out to everyone who needs humanitarian support in Tigray and various areas in Ethiopia, an end to hostilities is necessary. The war started on 4 November 2020. Then the government in Addis Ababa launched a large-scale offensive in Tigray to depose the regional leaders. These leaders had long been on a collision course with Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. – Children die every single day As recently as two weeks ago, the head of the World Health Organisation, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, warned against a genocide in Tigray. He comes from the area himself, and has family that has been badly affected by the war. – There is no other situation in the world where 6 million people have been displaced for almost two years. The banking system, food, electricity and the health system are being used as weapons in the war, he says. He emphasizes that even people who have money are starving because they have not had access to banking services for two years. – Children die every single day from malnutrition.
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Agreement to stop the war in Tigray – news Urix – Foreign news and documentaries
