Following the Cessation of Hostilities agreement signed in Pretoria, South Africa, some optimistic signs towards peace are coming, from both the government of Ethiopia and the Tigray Peoples Liberation Front (TPLF). In his latest statement to the local media, Commander of Tigray combatants, Major General Taddese Worede disclosed that the army he ordered would hand over arms in a couple of days as per the signed deal.
This is a good and encouraging gesture for peace. Coupled with the unreserved efforts of the government restoring normalcy in Northern Ethiopia, specifically in Tigray State would be an easier task. Therefore, to make the progress complete, the two sides must quickly transition to practical actions from oral gestures.
Such eagerness is necessitated by the strong desire of the entire people of the country to rapidly get rid of the war, the consequences of the war as well as the talks about the war. People are eager more than ever to hear news about peace, and development nationwide celebrations.
The two years of conflict have elapsed leaving a bad memory. Without exaggeration, these couples of years have been imprinted like even more than a decade in the minds of all.
That is why people were thrilled to hear that the peace talks in Pretoria have wound up with an agreement. Some could not even believe their ear while others thought it was misleading news. Considering the many peace talks that took years and repeated back and forth, such feeling could not be amazing or weird. It is indeed difficult to come to terms with each other in ten days long dialogue after spending two years of bloody conflict.
What one can conclude here is that the participants of the dialogue have indeed understood the utmost desire and feelings of the people and took an audacious decision to soothe the suffering of the people by signing a peace deal. This being worthwhile, signing a peace deal would be ultimately beneficial to the people when it is substantiated with practical measures.
The two sides need to reaffirm their commitment to putting the terms of the agreement into action. From the morrow of the peace deal, the government has been discharging its responsibility to bring peace as per the peace deal.
For instance, it has exerted adequate efforts to maintain facilities like electricity and telecommunication services. It has also facilitated the smooth delivery of food and medical supplies to the region. The latest measures by TPLF to reciprocate government action for peace are also laudable. Preparation for disarmament is an integral element of the agreement tailored to bring about lasting peace.
Nevertheless, the two sides must keep on observing the positive signs of progress so far and work with utmost commitment to realize the remainig terms of the peace deal. The two sides have already seen how the grassroots are thirsty for peace. Therefore, they have to repeat the audacity they showed to sign the peace in putting it into practice.
The Ethiopian Herald 24 November 2022
