ADDIS ABABA (Archyde.com) – The Ethiopian military said forces from the Amhara region fighting in support of federal forces during the two-year war in the neighboring Tigray region have withdrawn in compliance with a ceasefire deal backed by the African Union.
Ethiopia’s federal government and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front, an armed group-turned-political party that controls the region, agreed on November 2 to stop the fighting following talks.
The withdrawal of the Amhara forces is an essential step towards implementing the truce, along with the disarmament of the Tigray forces, who began handing over their heavy weapons on Wednesday.
The conflict, which broke out in November 2020 due to disagreements between the Addis Ababa government and the authorities in Tigray, led to famine-like conditions for hundreds of thousands, killing tens of thousands and displacing millions in northern Ethiopia.
“The Amhara Regional Special Force, which was on a national mission alongside the Ethiopian National Defense Force, has withdrawn from the area as per the agreement,” the Ethiopian National Defense Force said in a statement late Thursday.
Getachew Reda, spokesman for the Amhara regional government, and Getachew Reda, spokesman for the Tigray forces, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Also among the main points of the agreement is the restoration of basic services to Tigray, the resumption of humanitarian aid, and the withdrawal of forces from neighboring Eritrea, which also fought alongside the Ethiopian army.
Eritrean soldiers began withdrawing from several major towns in Tigray late last month. But residents say they have not left the towns entirely, and it is not clear if they intend to leave.
Eritrea, which was not party to the truce, declined to comment on whether its forces would leave Tigray.
Amhara fighters entered Tigray in November 2020 to support the army. They have also seized a large swath of land in western Tigray that they say is historically their territory.
The Amhara forces do not seem to have withdrawn from the western region. Experts worry that the long-running regional conflict will hamper prospects for a lasting peace.