BY SOLOMON DIBABA
On December 2, 2022, an Agreement on Permanent Cessation of Hostilities was signed between the Government of Ethiopia (GoE) and Tigray Peoples Liberation Front (TPLF) ushering in a new stage for the promotion of peace not only in northern Ethiopia but the entire Horn of Africa as well.
Even before the signing of the agreement and in its aftermath, the Government started to provide massive relief food aid and health services for citizens affected by the war in Tigray, Amhara and Afar Regional States. Pursuant to the Agreement GoE has already restored bank, telephone, air and land transport services in Tigray. A massive rehabilitation of various health service providing hospitals, health centers, schools and institute of higher learning was conducted in Tigray, Amhara and Afar Regions.
Accordingly, the HPR, the highest legislative organ of state power has resolved to delist TPLF from the list of terrorist organizations passed by the House. This renders huge contribution not only to accelerate the implementation of the provisions of the Agreement but is also of crucial importance to ensure peaceful socio-economic development in northern Ethiopia which was disrupted during the deadly two years’ war.
The process of inscription and de-listing of TPLF from the list of terrorists falls only under the jurisdiction of the HPR as the highest legal body representing the sovereign power of the people of Ethiopia. Moreover, delisting TPLF from the list of terrorist organizations passed by HPR shows the extent to which the highest legislative organ of the state is committed to completing the peace process in northern Ethiopia to the desired end.
The resolution, among other things fulfilled the major precondition for the full establishment of a Transitional Regional Government in Tigray which is tasked with administering, contributing to the full rehabilitation of the region and to enforce the rule of law. Among other things, such a legal resolution further promotes operational and political confidence between the Federal Government and the Transitional Government of Tigray for further accelerating the peace process on the ground and to chart out further modalities of ensuring justice, stability and for healing the wounds that were created between the people of Ethiopia in the northern part of the country.
On the other hand delisting TPLF from the list of terrorist organizations puts a much higher responsibility to effectively ensure law and order as one of the decisive political organization constituting the Transitional Regional Government of Tigray. Nevertheless, it would further promote the image and visibility of the country among the international community of nations as a bulwark of peace and stability in the Horn of Africa.
Delisting TPLF from the rank of terrorists will also help to strengthen the pace of a democratic governance and creation of a political order that is based on collective and individual responsibilities in the federal government structure and in Tigray Transitional Regional Government. The peace process in northern Ethiopia will still have more challenges to resolve but the entire process accomplished to date certainly indicates that there is more to be desired before peace is completely ascertained both in the northern part of the country and in Ethiopia as a whole.
Ethiopia is indeed playing a leading role in the implementation of the Agreement and is fully committed to all the provisions. What has been accomplished to this day is a step in the right direction. This however does not mean that everything would sound like walking on the red carpet. It is also important to look into the legal-technical modalities of finding a viable solution to the two years old conflict and in its contribution to Ethiopian and African jurisprudence and as a source for research in the academia. The experience gained in coordinating the Agreement will also help the AU to beef up its efforts in effectively coordinating and mediating future agreements that may be conducted in the rest of Africa.
Prime Minister Abiy has now appointed Getachew Reda, former Spokesperson of TPLF as the interim President of Tigray in accordance with the spirit of the Agreement and to facilitate for smooth transition to the normalization of the situation in Tigray and northern part of the country as a whole. The Transition Government of Tigray is expected to reinstate regional government structure and ensure that all services are adequately delivered to the needy people of Tigray.
As repeatedly stated by the Premier, the Ethiopian Government will leave no stone unturned to ensure lasting peace in the northern part of the country and ultimately in the entire country. This is of critical importance because improving the livelihood of the citizens in Tigray, Amhara and Afar can only be achieved when peace and the rule of law is effectively enforced in the country.
The measure taken by the Government of Ethiopia in scrapping TPLF from the list of terrorists is not a single incident and must be viewed in its entirety and on the basis of the merits it would have not only in promoting peace in northern Ethiopia but to also ensure and contributing to peace in the most volatile region of the Horn of Africa. The process clearly confirms that Africans can resolve their problems in their own way and in the most appropriate manner that would suit for ensuring regional political and socio-economic development in Africa.
Editor’s Note: The views entertained in this article do not necessarily reflect the stance of The Ethiopian Herald
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD TUESDAY 28 MARCH 2023
