The signing of Pretoria Peace Agreement on 02 November 2022 (Photo: South African Government International Relations and Cooperation)Addis Abeba – Embassies and Missions of Australia, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Japan, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden and the United Kingdom to Ethiopia said in a joint statement that they commend the progress made following the Pretoria peace agreement which “silenced the guns, and laid the foundations for normalcy to return” to northern Ethiopia. While recognising that “more needs to be done to protect, sustain and realize peace for all citizens,” the joint statement called the peace deal a “momentous achievement”. “We continue to urge all parties to implement the Agreement in full and to find solutions to address challenges, as soon as possible, through dialogue,” it stated. The countries also expressed concern over the ongoing violence in Amhara and Oromia regions, and the “disturbing” human rights violations that have persisted in many places. “We continue to stress the need for all parties to ensure the protection of civilians, for a cessation of hostilities as well as an inclusive dialogue”.
