Ethiopia’s army said forces from the Amhara region, who fought in support of the federal government during the two-year war in neighbouring Tigray, have withdrawn from a major Tigray city in line with an African Union-backed ceasefire. However, a humanitarian worker in the city of Shire said Amhara forces were still there in “significant numbers.” It was not immediately possible to verify the situation on the ground. Ethiopia’s government and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), a guerrilla force-turned political party that dominates the region, agreed on Nov. 2 to stop fighting following talks. The withdrawal of Amhara forces and Eritrean troops, who also supported Ethiopia’s army, is a key condition of the truce, as is the disarmament of Tigrayan forces, who began to hand over their heavy weapons on Wednesday. The conflict, which broke out in November 2020 over disagreements between the Addis Ababa government and the TPLF, created famine-like conditions for hundreds of thousands, killed tens of thousands and displaced millions across northern Ethiopia.

Source: Ethiopian News January 14, 2023 10:02 UTC