Under pressure, Ethiopia's PM Abiy Ahmed meets TPLF leadership

PM Abiy and TPLF representatives met on Friday in Halela Kella, a remote area located in Dawro Zone of the SNNP regional state. Picture: Redwan Hussien

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia - Embattled Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed on Friday held the first-ever face-to-face meeting with representatives of the Tigray People's Liberation Front [TPLF] in Addis Ababa, weeks after mediators brokered a deal after two years of skirmishes in the Horn of Africa nation.

According to reports, the two parties evaluated "actions carried out on the implementation of the Pretoria and Nairobi peace agreements so far" and discussed issues that "need further attention". This was the first time Abiy Ahmed granted the outfit audience in two years.

The meeting, the Ethiopian national broadcaster noted, was held at a resort in the Southern part of the country. The peace deal was signed in November 2022 following intense negotiations in Pretoria and Nairobi under the stewardship of the African Union.

While TPLF was instructed to hand over sophisticated weapons to the government of Ethiopia, Addis Ababa was also asked to withdraw foreign troops from all parts of Tigray. So far, both parties have started implementing the peace deal, but TPLF argues that a number of Eritrean troops are yet to withdraw.

Eritrean soldiers along with Amhara regional militia have been working closely with Ethiopian National Defense Forces [ENDF] on the battlefield, leading to protests from Tigray. The war started in November 2020 when TPLF attacked the Northern Command, leading to retaliation by the ENDF.

Abiy's national security adviser Redwan Hussein said on Twitter that Abiy and other government officials "met today and held discussion with TPLF delegation regarding the progress of the peace process."

"As a result, PM Abiy passed decisions about increasing Flights, Banking, and other issues that would boost trust & ease lives of civilians," he tweeted.

Banking, electricity, and telecommunication services have also been restored in Tigray after two years of disruption with Ethiopian Airlines also resuming services to the region. Humanitarian teams have also reported accessibility to various parts despite dilapidated infrastructure.

Ethiopian civil war left thousands of people dead and millions displaced, leading to uproar from members of the international community, with others questioning the Nobel Peace Prize which had been awarded to Abiy Ahmed in 2019. Ahmed assumed power in 2018 and won the prestigious award a year later.

GAROWE ONLINE