Tadesse Werede, chief of staff of the Tigray Defense Forces (TDF), stated that 65% of troops had “disengaged” from the Tigray front lines following a ceasefire agreement in northern Ethiopia.
"We have started disengagement and relocation of our forces from battlelines [...] Out of our forces, 65% of them have passed through this process, disengaging from battlelines and moved to designated places," he told reporters on Saturday.
Earlier this week, Ethiopia’s Government Communication Service claimed that a joint disarmament team consisting of representatives of the Ethiopian government and the TDF had met in the town of Shire in Tigray, northern Ethiopia, to discuss the implementation of a disarmament program for TPLF fighters.
“The Joint Technical Planning Committee which is expected to outline the detailed plan for the disarmament of Tigray combatants has convened in Shire town [...] is expected to finalise its duties in the coming days,” the agency said, as cited by local media.
As Shire was one of the main battlegrounds during the conflict, the government considers the fact that the town is now hosting the joint team to be a sign that the country is moving towards peace.
It was also stated that the authorities are normalizing life in the region of Tigray, where a two-year conflict with rebels shut down the economy. According to the office of Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, the federal government was already fulfilling the gradual supply of humanitarian aid and medical assistance to the worst affected areas, as well as facilitating the return of displaced people.
The conflict between the Ethiopian government and the TPLF started in November 2020, when the TPLF began an uprising in Tigray, rejecting the federal government's policies. Numerous attempts were made to end the fighting.
The ceasefire agreement was signed in Pretoria, South Africa on November 2, 2022. Under the deal, the parties have agreed to silence their guns, implement a disarmament program for TPLF militants, and collaborate with humanitarian organizations to continue to deliver aid, restore public services, and rebuild infrastructure.
The conflict has resulted in vast human losses, with people being forced to leave their homes, and a severe humanitarian crisis, where those in the affected areas face extreme poverty, starvation, and deadly disease.