Rebels from the northern Ethiopian Tigray region say they have begun handing in their heavy weapons, which was a key part of a disarmament peace deal signed two months ago between the federal government and the group.
According to the spokesman for the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), Getachew Reda in a statement on Wednesday, the handover is taking place in the town of Agulae, about 30km (18 miles) northeast of the regional capital Mekelle, and was overseen by a monitoring team comprising members of the two sides and eastern African regional body, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD).
“Tigray has handed over its heavy weapons as part of its commitment to implementing the Pretoria agreement that was signed between Ethiopia’s government and Tigray People’s Liberation Front,” Reda said in the statement.
“We hope and expect this will go a long way in expediting the full implementation of the agreement,” he added.
At the handover ceremony, aTigray Defence Forces (TDF) representative, Mulugeta Gebrechristos, said the start of the disarmament would play a major role in restoring peace.
“We are operating with the belief that if we are to have peace, all things that open the door for provocation must not be there. Peace is vital for us all,” Mulugeta said in a speech broadcast on the local Tigrai TV.
A representative of the Ethiopian army, Aleme Tadesse, who also spoke at the handover ceremony, said:
“We are all part of one Ethiopia. Both us and the TDF have moved from our respective defensive positions in peace, understanding and love.”
The terms of a peace agreement signed on November 2, 2022, include, among other conditions, disarming the rebel forces, restoring federal authority in Tigray and reopening access and communications to the region, which has been cut off since mid-2021.
A November 12 deal on the implementation of the agreement had stipulated that the disarmament of heavy Tigrayan weapons would take place at the same time as the withdrawal of foreign and non-federal forces.