Peace deal: Ethiopian government representative Redwan Hussein, left, and Tigray's Getachew Reda at the November 2 signing ceremony in PretoriaNairobi (AFP) – A high-level Ethiopian team arrived Monday in the capital of rebel-held Tigray for a first official visit following a peace deal aimed at ending a brutal two-year conflict. Ethiopia's Tigray region © Aude GENET / AFPThe war began in November 2020 when Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed sent troops into Tigray after accusing the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), the ruling party in the region, of attacking army bases. Of these, 5.4 million are in Tigray, seven in Amhara and 1.2 million in Afar. Aid has started trickling back into Tigray since the peace deal was signed, going some way to alleviating dire shortages of food, fuel, cash and medicines. Pro-government forces -- specifically troops from Eritrea to the north, and militias from the Ethiopian region of Amhara -- are not mentioned in the peace deal but remain in Tigray.

Source: Ethiopian News December 26, 2022 10:46 UTC