- We will enjoy not only a New Year but a Christmas of peace with a great deal of hope
- Parties have agreed to a series of activities and actions all aimed returning the state normalcy in Tigray and Ethiopia
Image: Enos Teche
Retired President Uhuru Kenyatta has expressed confidence that peace will soon be restored in Ethiopia’s Tigray region.
Uhuru, who is African Union Commission High-Level Panel Member, said the negotiations between the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia (FDRE) and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front are moving in the right direction.
“We will enjoy not only a New Year but a Christmas of peace with a great deal of hope,” Uhuru said after the conclusion of the second peace meeting that brought together military commanders from two sides.
Uhuru said the AU is very happy and grateful to parties that have been at the centre of negotiations in the last two months.
“We are indeed making tremendous progress. It is a plus that parties have agreed to a series of activities and actions all aimed at returning the state normalcy in Tigray and Ethiopia,” he said.
“We have agreed that the true statement they need to make will be the one they will issue when we will be in the region observing and verifying the actions.”
The Second Senior Commanders meeting that ended on Thursday was facilitated by the AU High Representative for the Horn of Africa and former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo together with AU High-Level Panel Members in Nairobi.
The meeting is part of efforts to stop the fighting which erupted in November 2020 after months of tension, and which has destroyed so many lives and livelihoods.
There are around 5.2 million people in need of humanitarian assistance in Tigray, including 3.8 million who need healthcare, the World Health Organisation said.
Thousands have been killed, with allegations of serious human rights violations committed by both sides.
Earlier on, the African Union Commission released a statement commending the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia (FDRE) and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front for their efforts to restore peace.
The commission encouraged the two sides to continue with their efforts to restore peace, security and stability in Ethiopia.
“The African Union Commission commends the parties for the positive confidence-building measures since the signing of Permanent Cessation of Hostilities Agreement (COHA),” AU said.
On November 7, the African Union Commission convened the First Senior Commanders’ Meeting following the signing of the Permanent Cessation of Hostilities Agreement between the Government of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front.
The expected outcomes of the meeting include modalities for silencing guns, humanitarian access, and the restoration of services in the Tigray region.