By Emegwoako C. Paschal
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has praised Nigeria’s former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, for his role in facilitating the signing of a peace agreement between Ethiopia’s government and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF).
On Wednesday, Nov. 2nd, Obasanjo, who serves as an African Union Mediator, persuaded the two warring parties to sign a peace agreement in South Africa.
With the signing of the agreement, the parties in Ethiopia’s northern region of Tigray agreed to a “permanent cessation of hostilities” just over a week after formal peace talks began in South Africa.
According to Guterres’ spokesperson, Stephane Dujarric, the agreement signed on Wednesday in South Africa was a “critical first step” toward ending the brutal two-year war.
The “Agreement for Lasting Peace” through a Permanent Cessation of Hostilities brokered by the African Union and mediated by Obasanjo, according to the UN chief, was a promising start.
According to him, it was a promising beginning toward finally putting an end to the fighting that erupted in November 2020 after months of tension that had destroyed so many lives and livelihoods.
“The secretary-general urges all Ethiopians and the international community to support the Federal Government of Ethiopia and the Tigrayan leadership’s bold step taken today,” he said.
The secretary-general promised the parties his support in carrying out the agreement.
Meanwhile, Guterres urged both parties to continue talks on outstanding issues in a spirit of reconciliation in order to reach a long-term political settlement.
He urged all stakeholders to take advantage of the ceasefire’s opportunity to “scale up humanitarian assistance to all civilians in need and restore desperately needed public services.”
Guterres praised the AU and its High-Level Panel for facilitating the peace talks, as well as South Africa for its critical role in hosting the talks.
“The United Nations stands ready to support the next steps of the African Union-led process and will continue to mobilize much-needed assistance to alleviate suffering in affected areas,” he said.
Obasanjo stated in the first briefing on the peace talks that Ethiopia’s government and Tigrayan authorities had agreed on “orderly, smooth, and coordinated disarmament.”
He added that both sides had agreed to “restore law and order, restore services, and allow unhindered access to humanitarian supplies.”
Obasanjo stated at a press conference in South Africa that the agreement marked a new “dawn” for Ethiopia.
The war, which began in November 2020, has pitted regional forces from Tigray against Ethiopia’s federal army and its allies, which include forces from other regions as well as Eritrea.
