Eritrean troops kill over 111 civilians in Tigray, Ethiopia after peace agreement

ADDIS ABABA - The Eritrean troops have continued with hostilities in the Tigray region just weeks after the peace deal which was signed in Pretoria and Nairobi last month, a report published by authorities in the northern state has confirmed, in what could derail reconciliation in Ethiopia, a country struggles with internal challenges.

In Nairobi, negotiators had agreed to have Eritrean soldiers evacuated from the country where they have been fighting alongside the Ethiopian National Defense Forces [ENDF] who are at loggerheads with the Tigray People's Liberation Front [TPLF].

And in return [after the withdrawal of Eritrean troops], the TPLF was supposed to cooperate in the disarmament process besides also withdrawing from Amhara and Afar regions where they have been active for several months. Both parties were also supposed to facilitate unhindered humanitarian access to the Tigray region.

But Eritrean troops and soldiers from Ethiopia’s Amhara region who backed Abiy in the war continue to fight on, and the targets set in the accord may not be met, according to the people, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they aren’t authorized to comment, Bloomberg reports.

According to the report published in Mekelle, the Eritrean soldiers have so far killed over 111 people between Nov 17 and Nov. 23, long after the two parties agreed to embrace a ceasefire. The initial peace deal was signed on November 2nd in South Africa before another one involving the commander was signed in Nairobi a week later.

The regional authority also reported that 103 people had been severely injured in areas still controlled by Eritrea, while 241 houses were destroyed. More than 100 camps for people displaced by the ongoing fighting were operating in the vicinity of the city of Adigrat alone, it said.

“There are reports of extra-judicial killing of civilians, injuries, kidnapping, disappearances, destruction of houses, and widespread looting by the occupying forces,” the report said.

Earlier this week, Getachew Reda, a senior TPLF member, said on Twitter this week that Tigray forces “are doing everything to honor their part” of the peace deal but “Eritrean forces are still on a rampage, killing children and women at will, ransacking, destroying and looting property.”

However, Ethiopian government spokesperson Legesse Tulu and Eritrean Information Minister Yemane Gebremeskel didn’t respond to text messages seeking comments about the allegations. There is no time though the two parties have confirmed atrocities in the Tigray region.

The report further claims between Oct. 25 and Oct. 31, hundreds of civilians were taken from their homes and killed by Eritrean troops in the countryside surrounding Adwa, about 40 kilometers [25 miles] from the border with Eritrea, according to three of the people, Bloomberg notes.

Already, the United States and other partners have warned that the parties should be ready for "severe " consequences should they fail to respect the peace deal. Eritrea is now on spot for destabilization of Ethiopia which could trigger international blockades and embargos.

President Isaias Afwerki has been grappling with increasing concerns about his human rights record and interference in Ethiopia could further strain his relationship with the international community. The country is also accused of mass human rights violations.

GAROWE ONLINE