According to Obasanjo, the agreement also includes “the restoration of public order, services (in Tigray), unimpeded access for humanitarian supplies and the protection of civilians”. He described the agreement as the beginning of a “new era” for Ethiopia and warned: “This moment is not the end of the peace process, but its beginning.”
Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed welcomed the agreement reached and announced that it would be implemented. He described the agreement as a “milestone on the path of reforms that Ethiopia began four and a half years ago”. Ahmed has been in power in Ethiopia since 2018.
The TPLF spoke of a “fresh start” and said it had made “concessions” in the peace talks to “build trust”. “We stand ready to implement and move forward with this agreement.” The fact that an agreement has now been reached shows that both sides are willing to put the past behind them and embark on a “new path to peace”.
The US welcomed the agreement between the conflicting parties. It was “an important step towards peace,” said a spokesman for the Foreign Ministry. Federal Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock (Greens) spoke of a promising step that must now be followed by a “real peace process”.
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.
