2 yıl önce

'Excellent news': World hails Ethiopia's truce deal with Tigray rebels

Ethiopian government and Tigray rebels have agreed to cease hostilities, a surprise diplomatic breakthrough after nearly two years of war. Following are reactions to the agreement:

Reuters

Ethiopian government representative Redwan Hussien and Tigray delegate Getachew Reda sign AU-led deal to resolve the conflict, in Pretoria, South Africa, on November 2, 2022.

World leaders have hailed the ceasefire agreement between Ethiopia's government and rebels in the northern Tigray region, which will see both sides ceasing hostilities after two years of brutal conflict.

Here are some of the first reactions from around the world:

United Nations

United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres welcomed the announcement as a "welcome first step" in ending the fighting.

"It is very much a welcome first step, which we hope can start to bring some solace to the millions of Ethiopian civilians that have really suffered during this conflict," UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric told reporters.

Türkiye

Türkiye is pleased that an agreement was reached and we hope that this agreement will be permanent, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

"We congratulate the African Union for spearheading these talks, the host Republic of South Africa, and all contributors for their efforts."

Ankara reiterated that it is ready to give all kinds of support to "friendly and brotherly" Ethiopia for the establishment of peace and tranquility.

United States

US State Department spokesperson Ned Price hailed the agreement.

"The African Union's announcement of the signing of a cessation of hostilities between the government of Ethiopia and the Tigray People's Liberation Front represents an important step towards peace," he told reporters.

African Union

African Union president and Senegalese President Macky Sall said it was "excellent news".

"I congratulate the parties and strongly encourage them to persevere on the path towards a permanent peace," he said.

Expression of Gratitude on the Conclusion of the Peace Talks pic.twitter.com/mB7Q0jLwsZ
— Abiy Ahmed Ali 🇪🇹 (@AbiyAhmedAli) November 2, 2022

Ex-Nigerian president Olusegun Obasanjo

"Today is the beginning of a new dawn for Ethiopia, for the Horn of Africa and indeed for Africa as a whole," AU mediator Olusegun Obasanjo said.

"The two parties in the Ethiopian conflict have formally agreed to the cessation of hostilities as well as the systematic, orderly, smooth and coordinated disarmament," Obasanjo said at a briefing in Pretoria.

They also agreed on a "restoration of law and order, restoration of services, unhindered access to humanitarian supplies, protection of civilians ... among other areas of agreement", he added.

Kenya

Neighbouring Kenya's President William Ruto welcomed the news.

"I applaud (Ethiopian) Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and the leadership of Tigray for their bold step towards restoring peace in Ethiopia," he said.

"This mutual agreement will create the necessary environment to nurture durable peace and political stability in Ethiopia."

The European Union congratulated both sides "for their commitment and courage towards peace", but encouraged further talks to achieve "a permanent ceasefire agreement".

"A swift implementation on the ground of the agreement reached today is needed," it added.

"Priority is to resume humanitarian access in all affected areas and to restore basic services, in particular in Tigray."

SOURCE: AFP