UNITED NATIONS: Ethiopia on Saturday told the United Nations (UN) that it wanted swift implementation of a peace agreement in Tigray, with a specific focus on the disarmament of former rebels.
In November of the previous year, Ethiopia’s government and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) reached a comprehensive accord in Pretoria, which has largely brought to a halt a brutal two-year-long conflict.
Deputy Prime Minister Demeke Mekonnen, while addressing the UN General Assembly, remarked, “The implementation of the agreement continues to make significant progress despite some delays in the execution of the disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration process. There is a need to expedite this process and ensure its successful completion.”
Under the Pretoria agreement, the TPLF, formerly Ethiopia’s dominant political party, had committed to disarm as government forces advanced. In January, an African Union monitoring mission verified that the TPLF had initiated the surrender of heavy weaponry, and Tigray authorities reported in July that over 50,000 fighters had undergone demobilization. However, the full extent of implementation remains uncertain.
#Ethiopia underscores that reforming the Security Council is not a choice but an absolute necessity. Allocating permanent seat for #Africa is politically and morally justified.- DPM and FM of Ethiopia, H.E. Demeke Mekonnen addressing #UNGA78 pic.twitter.com/TaPNlW10s7
— The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of #Ethiopia 🇪🇹 (@mfaethiopia) September 23, 2023
Tigray State Issue in Ethiopia
Demeke emphasized that Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s government, which has faced significant criticism, including from the United States, for alleged human rights violations, maintains its “commitment to consolidate peace and stability throughout the country.”
He pointed out that the Pretoria agreement, brokered under the auspices of the African Union in South Africa, “is a practical embodiment of African solutions to African problems.”
Complicating the peace process, forces from the neighboring Amhara region still maintain control over Western Tigray, creating a potentially volatile situation. The Pretoria accord stipulated the withdrawal of foreign forces, yet reports persist of a continued presence of troops from neighboring Eritrea, which stands accused of some of the gravest abuses after intervening against the TPLF.
