Assistant minister for foreign affairs Tim Watts has described an African Union peace agreement recently brokered two years after the conflict in Ethiopia broke out as a landmark opportunity for enduring stability in the country.
“We recognise there is significant work ahead as Ethiopia enters a process of reconciliation, including accountability for perpetrators of human rights abuses and justice for victims,” the assistant minister said in a statement.
“We continue to encourage all parties to the conflict to seize this opportunity to create a lasting peace for the benefit of all Ethiopians.”
Thousands of people have died in a conflict that ignited between Ethiopian government forces and Tigrayan rebels in November 2020 when the prime minister ordered the arrest of rebel leaders, accused of attacking military bases.
Since the fighting began, famine has killed even more people and millions more have been displaced across the northern part of the African nation.
The peace accord was signed in November 2022 and Tigrayan rebels have started handing heavy weapons over to government forces.
Three months on from the accord, Watts said Ethiopia’s government services had resumed and humanitarian aid had started to return to the country.
“We encourage all parties to the conflict to continue working together to fulfil the terms of the agreement,” Watts said, also recognising the work of members of the African Union to achieve peace on the continent.
“In particular, we urge parties to work to remove barriers to humanitarian assistance reaching all parts of northern Ethiopia.”
A monitoring and reporting team comprising parties from the government and Tigrayan rebels, as well as the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), oversaw the handover of the town of Agulae in the northeast back to government control.
“The withdrawal of Eritrean forces from Ethiopian territory and of all Amhara militia from Tigray is vital for the peace agreement’s success,” Watts said.
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