Redwan Hussien: After burning in Tigray, we have learnt the hard way

SOUTH AFRICA - Ethiopia has welcomed the peace agreement signed in the Republic of South Africa, a move that could potentially end the two-year-old conflict in the Tigray region, which has been condemned worldwide for having left thousands of people dead.

Today [Thursday], the Tigrayan people are commemorating the second anniversary of the conflict, which has seen Ethiopian National Defense Forces [ENDF] and their Eritrean counterparts ransacking the region under the pretext of fighting Tigray People's Liberation Front [TPLF].

Redwan Hussien, the National Security Advisor to Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, who also serves as a minister, welcomed the agreement, which was reached on Wednesday afternoon. Hussien has been representing the government of Ethiopia in the peace talks that started a fortnight ago.

"Congratulations all Ethiopians and friends! Just overwhelmed. We should and could have avoided all that mess. I believe we have learned after burned, we have learned the hard way," he said. "Victory is for Ethiopia and peace itself. We must all cheer up and march forward than leaking wounds."

There have been concerns about the potential collapse of the talks after TPLF accused Eritrean troops of continued attacks and looting in Tigray, with the international community also raising alerts over blockades imposed on the humanitarian teams which are struggling to access Tigray.

Uhuru Kenyatta, the former president of Kenya who is among the lead negotiator, welcomed the progress, noting that the only way to restore peace in the northern region of Ethiopia is through political dialogue. He exuded confidence in the process while congratulating the teams that made it successful.

"Violence, bullets, and guns will not be the solution. The lasting solution can only become through political dialogue. People sit and agree that they have differences. Because they do, " said Uhuru, who was brought in by the African Union, which is leading the mediation process.

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo of Nigeria has been leading the negotiations but the Tigrayan people had questioned his integrity. The Tigray team pushed for the inclusion of Uhuru, who the United States had been relying on before his exit from power in September following a successful transition in Kenya.

GAROWE ONLINE