Heavy fighting between rebels and government troops has been raging in the Ethiopian region of Tigray for two years – with devastating consequences for the civilian population. An interim ceasefire lasts only for a short time. After peace talks, both parties are now announcing an agreement.
According to the African Union (AU), the parties to the Tigray conflict in Ethiopia, which has been going on for two years, have agreed on a ceasefire. Both sides had agreed to a “cessation of hostilities,” said AU mediator Olusegun Obasanjo after days of peace talks in South Africa. The conflicting parties also agreed on a “systematic and coordinated disarmament”.
The rebel organization TPLF, which governs the Ethiopian region of Tiray, spoke of a “new beginning” and declared that it had made “concessions” in the peace talks. The Tigray conflict began in November 2020 with an offensive by the Ethiopian armed forces after the TPLF repeatedly questioned the authority of the central government.
The fighting triggered a massive humanitarian crisis. At least two million people have been displaced. According to a US estimate, around half a million people died in the conflict. A five-month ceasefire had fueled hopes of a negotiated solution, but fighting flared up again at the end of August.
