Ethiopia: Tigrayan Rebels Begin Handing Over Heavy Weapons To Government

Tigrayan rebels said on Wednesday that they have begun handing in their heavy weapons, a key part of a deal signed more than two months ago to end a deadly conflict in northern Ethiopia.

The provisions of the November 2 peace accord include the disarmament of rebel troops, the restoration of federal authority in Tigray, and the reopening of access and communications to the area, which has been cut off from the rest of the world since mid-2021.

Fighting erupted in November 2020, when Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed sent in the army to depose Tigrayan leaders who had been defying his authority for months and were accused of attacking federal military positions.

A contract on the execution of the accord inked in Nairobi on November 12 stated that heavy Tigrayan weaponry would be disarmed concurrently with the withdrawal of foreign and non-federal forces.

Neighbouring Eritrea has supported Ethiopia's troops throughout the crisis, but Asmara did not attend the Pretoria negotiations.

Because access to Tigray is limited, independent verification of the situation on the ground is impossible.

A humanitarian worker in the crucial Tigrayan city of Shire told AFP by phone on Wednesday that he observed Eritrean troops as well as members of the neighbouring Amhara region's armed forces.

Humanitarian activities have increased since the ceasefire agreement, but the amount of food and medical help given remains far insufficient to meet the massive demands.

Mekele was restored to the national power system on December 6, and the Ethiopian Electric Utility has declared a goal to restore complete power to cities and towns in war-torn areas within two weeks, according to local media.