ETHIOPIA: Eritrea Agrees to Withdraw its Troops from Tigray, Says Ethiopia’s Government
Eritrea Troops Credit: Courtesy Photo
Sr. Jecinter Antoinette Okoth, FSSA
In a report published by the Europe External Programme with Africa (EEPA), a centre specialized on issues of peace building, refugee protection and resilience in the Horn of Africa, the Prime Minister (PM) of Ethiopia Abiy Ahmed disclosed that Eritrea has agreed to withdraw its troops from Tigray following the prolonged conflict between Ethiopia’s Federal Government and the Tigray regional State led by the political party of Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF).
The report dated Friday, March 26, highlights that “Ethiopian National Defense Forces will be taking over responsibility for border security effective immediately.”
According to EEPA, the Belgium-based centre of expertise with in-depth knowledge and publications that cooperates with a wide network of Universities, research organizations, civil society and experts from Ethiopia, Eritrea, Kenya, Djibouti, Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan, Uganda and across Africa, both countries (Eritrea and Ethiopia) have “agreed based on the spirit of mutual trust to continue strengthening bilateral relations and increase economic cooperation where possible.”
The EEPA leadership noted in their situation report that the information on withdrawal of Eritrean troops was released after Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Dr. Abiy met with President Isaias Afwerki of Eritrea during his visit to Asmara.
The ongoing hostilities between Ethiopia’s Federal Government and TPLF began November last year.
Since then the people of Tigray have experienced humanitarian crisis and “The people including Eritrean refugees have run out of food items, basic life-saving medicines, water etc. They have no access to essential services like shelter, electricity, banking, telephone, internet connection, transport and health to help their families” as had earlier been expressed by Bishop Tesfassilasie Medhin of the Eparchy of Adigrate.
Several countries and organizations including the leadership of the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences in Africa and Madagascar (SECAM), members of the Ethiopian Catholic Bishops’ Conference (ECBC), the Prelates from the Association of Member Episcopal Conferences in Eastern Africa (AMECEA), Consolata Missionaries and Pax Christi International among others have appealed for peaceful dialogue asking the involved parties in the war-torn northern Ethiopian region to end violence and lay down arms.
