Eritrean troops to leave Tigray after TPLF is disarmed

ADDIS ABABA - The Eritrean troops fighting in Tigray might stay in Ethiopia for a little longer, a senior official has said, even with the mounting pressure from a number of stakeholders who are accusing them of fuelling hatred and instability in the struggling Horn of Africa nation.

Ethiopian government Information and Communication minister Legese Tulu told the BBC that all forces fighting in the Tigray region who are not part of the federal army will withdraw as soon as the Tigrayan rebels disarm, in what would take a little longer before stabilization is realized.

The Ethiopian government and Tigray People's Liberation Front [TPLF] signed an agreement in South Africa which paves way for the cessation of hostilities in the Tigray region. Later, the teams, in presence of army commanders from the two parties, met in Nairobi where they crafted the preliminary agreement for a ceasefire.

For two years, the Eritrea soldiers, Amhara, and Afar regional militia have been working closely with the Ethiopian National Defense Forces [ENDF] in the first against TPLF. Guided by this collaboration, the TPLF has also been waging a number of attacks against the groups, even seizing several territories.

In Nairobi, it was agreed that the Ethiopian army should take charge of strategic facilities such as airports in Tigray, with TPLF expected to surrender weapons to the national government before the implantation of disengagement of Eritrean troops from the northern part of Ethiopia.

Meanwhile, an opposition party in the Tigray region, Baytona Tigray, has rejected the peace agreement, saying the TPLF does not represent the Tigray people. This is likely to derail the ongoing process to restore peace and stability in Tigray, with the international community calling for immediate order.

The United States, which has been pushing for the exit of Eritrean troops, warned parties that might sabotage the implementation of peace deals. Former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo and his Kenyan counterpart Uhuru Kenyatta were integral in this process.

GAROWE ONLINE