Ethiopia Tigray Rebels Accept Ceasefire But Set Out Conditions

Call for withdrawal of Eritrean forces from war-torn region and restoration of rebel government

Ethiopian government soldiers and prisoners of war walk through the streets of Mekelle

Government soldiers and prisoners of war walk through the streets of Mekelle, recaptured by the rebels on Monday after being held by the Ethiopian army since November. Photograph: Reuters

Agence France-Presse

Sun 4 Jul 2021 10.51 EDT

Rebels in Ethiopia’s war-torn Tigray region have accepted a ceasefire “in principle” but posed strict conditions for it to be formalised.

Notable among those conditions was the withdrawal from the region of Eritrean forces as well as fighters from the neighbouring Ethiopian region of Amhara, who have been supporting the Ethiopian army during the eight-month long conflict.

Tigray has been the scene of fighting since the prime minister, Abiy Ahmed, sent the army in early November to topple the dissident regional authorities, which emerged from the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF).

The 2019 Nobel peace prize winner accused them of orchestrating attacks on Ethiopian military bases.

After early successes and a premature declaration of victory, government forces became bogged down in a vicious and months-long battle with pro-TPLF fighters – the Tigray Defence Forces (TDF). The Ethiopian army was backed by troops from the neighbouring Amhara region and the army of Eritrea, which borders Tigray.

On Monday, the TDF recaptured Mekele, held by the Ethiopian army since November. The government in Addis Ababa immediately declared a unilateral ceasefire, but this was swiftly derided as a “joke” by the rebel forces, which vowed to continue fighting.

The rebels have now agreed to a ceasefire in principle, but another of their conditions is the restoration of what Addis Ababa considers the rebel government in Tigray.

The United Nations and numerous government have called for a ceasefire to be respected, especially to allow humanitarian aid to reach civilian populations.

“As long as we have a foolproof guarantee that the security of our people will not be compromised by a second round of invasions, we accept a ceasefire in principle,” a statement signed by the “government of Tigray” said on Sunday.

“However, before a ceasefire agreement is formalised, the following thorny issues must be resolved,” the text continues, before listing the conditions.

The rebel authorities are also calling for “procedures to hold Ethiopian prime minister Abiy Ahmed and President Issaias Aferworki to account for the damage they have caused”, as well as the creation by the UN of an independent investigation body to probe the ’horrific crimes’ carried out during the conflict.

Other conditions are humanitarian, including the distribution of aid and the safe return to Tigray of displaced people.

The government in Addis Ababa has always refused to open any dialogue with the TPLF leaders, classifying the group by parliamentary decree as a terrorist organisation.

According to the UN, more than 400,000 people have “crossed the threshold into famine” in Tigray and 1.8 million people are on the brink of famine.