Eritrea has begun withdrawing its forces from Ethiopia’s Tigray Regional State, Eyewitnesses APA on Friday.
The Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) which rules the Tigray region has been fighting the Eritrean forces after launching multiple rocket attacks on Asmara, Eritrean capital since the war broke out between Addis Ababa and Mekele in November 2020.
Residents of Shire-Indaselassie and Axum towns in northern Tigray told APA in a telephone that Eritrean forces have begun withdrawing from the border towns.
“The Eritrean forces are leaving the towns, loaded on heavy trucks,” said the residents who are not sure if the Eritrean troops also are leaving from the disputed areas including Badme town.
The Eritrean forces entered into Ethiopia’s Tigray region through Zalambessa- Adigrat and Shiraro -Shire routes after TPLF forces fired at least three rockets at Eritrea’s capital from Tigray during the first months of the conflict with the government of Ethiopia in late 2020.
TPLF Leader Debretsion Gebremichael Monday told the Ethiopian delegation in Mekelle, capital of Tigray region that the Tigrayan forces will lay down arms following the withdrawal of Eritrean forces and non Ethiopian National Defence Force (ENDF) from Tigray region.
It is not clear if TPLF fighters will lay arms down if Eritrea is not withdrawing from the disputed Bademe and other areas based on the agreement Ethiopia and Eritrea reached in Algiers 23 years ago.
In 2010, Ethiopia had accepted the Algiers agreement in bid to normalize relations with Eritrea. Based on the agreement; Ethiopia agreed to withdraw its forces from all territories awarded to Eritrea including the flash point town of Bademe.
MG/abj/APA