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Tigray conflict: Ethiopia declares ceasefire

 

Ethiopia on Thursday declared a ceasefire to its 16-month-long civil war to allow free flow of humanitarian aid to the conflict-ravaged northern Tigray region.

The humanitarian truce announced by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed took effect on Thursday afternoon.

The announcement comes one day after US special envoy to the horn of Africa, David Satterfield’s two-day official visit in Ethiopia.

During his stay in Addis Ababa, Ambassador Satterfield held talks with top Ethiopian government officials, UN officials, and representatives of various humanitarian organisations.

After his Ethiopia visit, Mr Satterfield told Reuters that among top priorities of President Joe Biden's administration was to ensure unhindered humanitarian delivery to Tigray.  

Humanitarian truce

In a statement on Thursday, the Ethiopian government communication service said the Ethiopian government was declaring "an indefinite humanitarian truce effective immediately" to allow free flow of humanitarian assistance to Tigray region where hundreds of thousands are facing starvation.

The government of Ethiopia says it has been taking measures to expedite the provision of humanitarian aid to people in need in the Tigray region.

"To this end, it has increased the number of United Nations humanitarian flights and expedited through improved clearance procedures the delivery of fuel and cash for payments by aid organisations".

It said, humanitarian flights for ICRC, WHO and the European Union have been facilitated.

“However, currently thousands from the Tigray region are trekking into neighbouring regions in search of assistance. While it is heartening to see the fraternal bond and solidarity that is being demonstrated by communities that are receiving and helping those in need of assistance, the government believes that the situation warrants urgent measures to ensure that those in need are able to receive aid in their  localities,” the statement added.

Humanitarian aid

"Alleviating the plight of those affected by the conflict is of utmost priority and a responsibility that the government takes seriously"

It said the Ethiopian government is committed to exert maximum effort to facilitate the free flow of emergency humanitarian aid into the Tigray region.

"Cognisant of the need to take extraordinary measures to save lives and reduce human suffering, the government of Ethiopia hereby declares an indefinite humanitarian truce effective immediately"

"The government calls upon the donor community to redouble their generous contributions to alleviate the situation and reiterates its commitment to work in collaboration with relevant organisations to expedite the provision of humanitarian assistance to those in need"

“This decision is taken to ensure the free flow of emergency humanitarian aid to all those in need of assistance"

"The commitment being undertaken by the government of Ethiopia could have the desired outcome of improving the humanitarian situation on the ground only to the extent that it is reciprocated by the other side"

To optimise the success of the humanitarian truce, the government called upon the rebels in Tigray region to desist from further aggression.

It further urged them to withdraw from areas they have occupied in neighbouring Amhara and Afar regions. 

Further bloodshed

"The government of Ethiopia hopes that this truce will substantially improve the humanitarian situation on the ground and pave the way for the resolution of the conflict in northern Ethiopia without further bloodshed,” the statement added.

According to the United Nations, about 10 million people in northern Ethiopia are in need of humanitarian assistance, more than half of them in the Tigray region.

International aid agencies have warned that hundreds of thousands of lives could be in danger if aid is not provided immediately.

Rebel fighters loyal to the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) have been fighting the government and its allied regional and Eritrean forces since November 2020.

The conflict which spilled to neighbouring regions has claimed the lives of thousands of people and displaced millions of others.

The TPLF accuses the Ethiopian government of systematically blocking and disrupting aid to Tigray in a bid to starve Tigrayans to death, an allegation Addis Ababa denies.

The TPLF has not yet reacted to the government's unilateral truce announced on Thursday.    BY DAILY NATION  

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