Former President Uhuru Kenyatta, Thursday joined the African Union (A.U.) High Level – Panel members led by Former President of Nigeria, Olusegun Obasanjo, in a briefing session on the AU-led Ethiopia peace process.
The virtually convened meeting updated the panel on the occupancy of the Ethiopian Forces as part of the terms of the 2nd November Pretoria peace agreement, which called for a systematic and coordinated disarmament of the Tigray forces and restoration of the federal authority in the region.
The Political Affairs, Peace and Security of the African Union Commissioner, Bankole Adeoye, informed the panel that the Ethiopia National Defense forces have peacefully occupied Mekelle, the capital of the Tigray region.
Gradual restoration of essential services, among them air transportation and telecommunication, has been witnessed even as humanitarian aid interventions continue for the internally displaced people (IDPs).
During the meeting, it was, however, noted that schools remain closed and the cost of living is still high in the region.
The panel members appreciated the milestones achieved following their last visit in Tigray, where they launched the joint African Union Monitoring, Verification, and Compliance Mission (AU-MVCM) in Mekelle.
They also commended the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia (FDRE) and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) for their commitment to the AU-led peace process toward restoring long-lasting peace in the region that has been in fighting for the last two years.
Peace Treaty
On 2nd November 2022, a peace treaty was signed between the government of Ethiopia and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), where both parties agreed to a “permanent cessation of hostilities” to end the Tigray War.
The agreement was made effective the next day on 3rd November, marking the two-year anniversary of the war.
The Ethiopian government and the TPLF released a joint statement, in which they stated that they had “agreed to permanently silence the guns and end the two years of conflict in northern Ethiopia.”
Obasanjo explained that the agreement will involve a “systematic, orderly, smooth and coordinated disarmament.”
Nairobi Declaration
On 7th November 2022, five days after the agreement was signed, Ethiopian and Tigrayan military officials primarily, ENDF Chief of Staff Birhanu Jula and Tigray Defence Forces (TDF) Commander-in-Chief Tadesse Werede met for a new set of talks in Nairobi, Kenya, in order to discuss restoring humanitarian access to the Tigray Region, as well as the process of Tigrayan disarmament.
On 12th November, they signed a declaration reaffirming their commitment to the original agreement, laid out the specifics of how to implement it, and agreed to begin the Tigrayan disarmament process on 15th November.
Both parties also agreed to create a Joint Committee, per the agreement’s rules on “Monitoring, Verification, and Compliance.”
Via KBC
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