Military commanders of the Ethiopian National Defence Force (ENDF) and the rebel Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) have begun discussion to implement the terms of the peace agreement involving the disarmament of the rebel’s troops.
“Today is the fifth day, and the commanders’ meeting has begun in Nairobi,” Redwan Hussain, National Security Advisor to the Prime Minister tweeted on Monday.
Last Wednesday, the two sides signed cessation of hostilities deal brokered by theAfrican Union to end the conflict in northern Ethiopia.
The two sides agreed to the restoration of law and order, services and “unhindered access to humanitarian supplies to the people in Tigray region.
The truce also states that military commanders would meet within five days for “orderly, smooth and coordinated disarmament” of TPLF’s combatants.
“That insures safety and expedites humanitarian flow to areas hitherto inaccessible,” Redwan said in a tweet on Monday.
The meeting in Nairobi comes after chief of military staff General Birhanu Jula and TPLF military head Gen Tadesse Werede agreed to meet in Nairobi during their telephone exchanges.
AU envoy for the Horn of Africa Olusegun Obasanjo, a key figure in brokering the peace deal last week, is facilitating the commanders’ meeting along with members of the AU High-level panel.
“The expected outcomes of the meeting include modalities for silencing the guns, humanitarian access, and the restoration of services in the Tigray region,” said the African Union Commission (AUC) in a statement on Monday.
The Commission has also extended its gratitude to Kenya for hosting the senior commanders meeting, saying it a demonstration a commitment to the African Union’s Agenda of Silencing the Guns in Africa,
MG/abj/APA