Peace negotiations (per 29 December)
- The mediators of the Cessation of Hostilities (CoH) Agreement have travelled to Mekelle, said Nuur Mohamud Sheekh, spokesperson for the regional Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD).
- The mediators will carry out the monitoring and verification of the implementation of the CoH Agreement as per article 11 of the CoH Agreement signed on Nov 02.
- Members of the team include Dr Workeh Gebeyehu, IGAD Executive Secretary, and AU representatives.
- Federal Ethiopian police have entered Mekelle as per implementation of the CoH Agreement as per Article 8 (3) states that, “The ENDF, the Federal Police and other federal security organs shall take full and effective control of national airspace, aviation safety and security, and all federal facilities, installations, and major infrastructure such as airports and highways within the Tigray Region”.
- President of the Tigray region, Debretsion Gebremichae, says that the war would only be finished once Eritrean troops and Amhara militias have left the Tigray region.
- Debretsion said that Tigray was not in peace while killings were continuing and half of the region was occupied by foreign troops and militia.
- A first commercial flight of Ethiopian Airways landed in Mekelle as scheduled, on 28 December, following a successful visit of a high-level delegation with 50 members that visited Mekelle on 26 December. It was the first plane after flights were stopped 19 months ago.
- Ethiopian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Demeke Mekonen held a meeting on December 28 with the AU political affairs commissioner Ambassador Bankole Adeoye.
- Demeke and Bankole discussed the status of implementation of the Cessation of Hostilities (CoH) Agreement, reports Ethiopian Press Agency.
- Commissioner Bankole Adiwoye, said the peace agreement sets a good example for other AU member countries and will be presented as an experience at the next AU Summit in Addis Ababa.
- During the meeting, Demeke Mekonen said the improving conditions due to the CoH Agreement indicates the success of Africa’s principle of solving its own problems.
- Ambassadors from more than 32 countries including the British Ambassador, based in Addis Abeba, have travelled today to Mekelle, to monitor progress on the implementation of the CoH Agreement.
- The ambassadors were accompanied by Justice Minister Gedion Timotheos of Ethiopia.
- The Ethiopian Civil Society Organizations Council issued a statement commending the progress to end the conflict in Tigray, reports Ethiopian Herald.
- In the statement, the council said ‘’ “The council believes that the visit to Mekelle by senior government officials indicates the progress of the implementation of the peace agreement and the continuation of the initiative to end the armed conflict in the region.”
Situation in Tigray (per 29 December)
- A source states that among the Ethiopian technicians deployed to Mekelle to repair bank networks, communication systems and power lines there are technicians who have been trained by Eritrean security and intelligence.
- Internet and phone lines are being restored in Mekelle and internet messages were received from homes in Mekelle. People are seen queuing up et EthioTelecom to get services.
- It is reported that the communication lines are heavily congested.
- The Ethiopian Petroleum and Energy Authority decided fuel could be loaded from Djibouti and directly transported to fuel distributor companies in Tigray, says Ethiopian insider.
- Ms. Bekelech Kuma, the authority’s director of communication, said that following the war in northern Ethiopia, the loading of fuel to the Tigray region had been prohibited.
Situation in Eritrea (per 29 December)
- Catholic Bishop fr Fikremariam Hagos Tsalim, head of the Catholic Eparchy of Segeneyti in Eritrea, and Fr. Mehereteab Stefanos, have been released from prison in Asmara, local sources say.
- A video shows Bishop Fikremariam and Fr. Meheretab giving thanks for deliverance in the church of Kidane Mihret, which is the seat of the Archbishop of Asmara/ Eritrea.
- They are in the company of two other Catholic Bishops in Eritrea and the heads of the various Catholic congregations in Eritrea.
- People in Eritrea continue to report hardship. This includes deprivation from food coupons which are necessary to get basic food stuff such as bread, which are provided by local governments.
- Eritreans also continue to report that they are locked out of their homes because their children or husbands have not reported to their military units.
- The families are locked out of their homes, and the homes are locked by key.
Situation in Ethiopia (per 29 December)
- Chief of General Staff of the Ethiopian National Defense Forces (ENDF), Field Marshal Berhanu Jula, is visiting Türkiye and met Yaşar Güler, Chief of the General Staff of the Türkish Armed Forces.
- According to the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA), it conducted an operation in Gambel village, Amaya district, West Shawa Zone. The operation took place on December 20, 2022.
- OLA forces ambushed ENDF forces that came to Gambel to conduct a search and kill operation. The unit was completely destroyed, says the OLA.
Links of interest
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world/africa/live
Pretoria Peace Deal a Model for Africa, Commissioner Bankole Adiwoye
twitter:AU Monitoring and Verification Mechanism team being launched in Mekelle
Council praises gov’t, TPLF engagement to cease conflict
በትግራይ ክልል ለሚገኙ ነዳጅ ማደያዎች፤ ከጅቡቲ ነዳጅ እንዲጫን ውሳኔ ተላለፈ
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Martin Plaut 