Ethiopian government, Tigray rebels sign deal on ceasefire implementation

The deal will facilitate humanitarian access, provide security guarantees to aid workers, ensure the protection of civilians and establish a joint committee to oversee implementation, mediators say.

The Ethiopian government and Tigrayan forces have signed an agreement laying out the roadmap for implementation of a peace deal that both sides reached in South Africa this month.

Representatives from the Ethiopian government and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) have been meeting in Nairobi since Monday to reach agreement on various aspects related to the implementation of the peace pact signed in Pretoria.

Saturday’s declaration is expected to boost efforts by th e African Union mediators to try to resolve a two-year conflict that has killed thousands and displaced millions in the Horn of Africa country.

It will facilitate unhindered humanitarian access, provide security guarantees to aid workers, ensure the protection of civilians and establish a joint committee to oversee implementation, mediators said.

The deal will be put into effect “immediately”, mediator Olusegun Obasanjo told a news conference before the signing.

Both sides said they were committed to the declaration, stressing it was the only way to restore peace and stability. Readmore