It becomes apparent that since the signing of the Pretoria peace agreement between the federal government of Ethiopia and the Tigray Peoples’ Liberation Front (TPLF), the northern part of the country has set in motion moving forward in the right direction.
The pact signed between the two parties under the auspices of the African Union (AU) has set in motion yielding fruits. Though some groups have made many efforts to belittle the role of the continental bloc for various lame reasons, Ethiopia, in the fullness of time, has triumphed over them and become the talk of the wider international community.
Some worrywarts time and again had been pulling out all the stops to smudge the encouraging moves of the cessation of hostilities agreement turning their back on the existing reality on the ground. However, the federal government has proven them wrong sticking to successfully implementing the Pretoria Agreement.
In the present climate, the meaningful participation of the federal government and other significant participants has been paving the way for the achievement of the national demobilization and rehabilitation program.
As the federal government of Ethiopia and other stakeholders are in the forefront in backing the ongoing endeavors to help ex-combatants lead a meaningful life, the pursued objective is being attained ensuring peace as well as tranquilly in the northern part of the country.
As the demobilization and rehabilitation undertakings require the active participation of the wider international community, they should stand by the side of the federal government at the earliest possible juncture.
As things stand now, the government has sustained successfully working to disarm the ex-combatants in close collaboration with a broad range of stakeholders and transform the lives of ex-combatants.
As demobilization and reintegration are important moves for ensuring lasting peace and tranquility in the length and breadth of the country, all pertinent bodies have been partaking in the process. It is true that the effectuation of the demobilization and reintegration process completely depends on the unwavering stance of the federal government of Ethiopia, global bodies, competing parties, and other sectors of society.
As the realization of the program fully needs the commitment of all of them, they should join hands in less than no time. Some 640 former combatants in the Tigray region have concluded training and reintegrated into the society, according to the National Rehabilitation Commission (NRC), ENA reported.
Demobilization Director at the National Rehabilitation Commission, Lieutenant colonel Gosaye Tilahun said that some 640 combatants from the training centers of Mekelle and Idaga Hamus have now reintegrated into the society. The remaining of the 1,360 total demobilized trainees will reintegrate into the society next, he added.
“To date, the total numbers of ex-combatants who went through the process and reintegrated into the society are 640. They have gone through rehabilitation training and reintegrated to the society.
This is what we have done so far while 1,360 former combatants are still going through the process. We will continue reintegrating them into the society in the coming days starting from tomorrow,” he explained.
As the government has been effectively implementing the Pretoria Peace Agreement, the war-affected areas in the northern part of the country have kicked off breathing a sigh of relief and leading a meaningful life. More to the point, Ethiopia has been signifying in black and white its unwavering endeavors to get to the bottom of the conflict through round table discussion.
As peace is the foundation for the whole kit and caboodle under the sun, pertinent bodies should keep expediting the implementation of the Pretoria peace agreement.
It is important to make it clear that the federal government in a number of instances has demonstrated its unflinching stance to comply with the rules and regulations of the continental bloc.
On the heels of the positive strides unfolding in the northern part of the country, humanitarian assistance and the restoration of basic services in conflict-affected areas have begun sowing the seeds of peace in the left, right, and center of the northern part of the country.
It is obvious that subsequent to the signing of the Peace Accord, the federal government has been putting in place the pact. In actual fact, Ethiopia’s peace accord has contributed a noteworthy share to turning the adage African solutions to African problems into reality in the shortest possible juncture.
Former militants from the Tigray region have expressed optimism that rehabilitation training will enable them to contribute to the country’s development and peace efforts following the endeavors to reintegrate them into society, according to information obtained from a local media.
National Rehabilitation Commission (NRC) announced on 21st November 2024 that disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration (DDR) program for 75,000 former combatants in Tigray Region officially began in the presence of senior officials from the Federal Government of Ethiopia, the Tigray Regional Interim Administration, and representatives from international organizations.
President of Interim Regional Administration, Getachew Reda hailed the ongoing efforts to rehabilitate 75,000 former militants in Tigray Region for the first phase alone as a major breakthrough.
BY ADDISALEM MULAT
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD SATURDAY 14 DECEMBER 2024
