ASMARA – Eritrean Defense Forces will leave the conflict-ridden Tigray region in recent months following an operation by Ethiopian National Defense Forces. [ENDF]leading to a massive humanitarian crisis.
Eritrean forces joined the conflict after the Tigray People’s Liberation Front [TPLF] launched missiles targeting Asmara to the capital of the Red Sea country. It is not clear why the TPLF attacked Eritrea at the time.
But on Thursday, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki agreed to withdraw troops, most of whom have been accused of committing crimes against humanity, particularly inside and outside Mekele.
Abiy Ahmed had accused the Tigray People’s Liberation Front of firing missiles at Asmara and forced him to call for reinforcements from Eritrea when he ordered operations in Tigray, a region currently in opposition to his leadership.
The troops have been accused of committing mass murder, a move that pushed the international community to call for intervention. United Nations Security Council [UNSC] called for a meeting to resolve the issue, but the region is still facing a number of humanitarian issues.
More than 500 rape cases have been reported at five health centers in Ethiopia’s Tigray region, according to the UN Vice President’s Assistance Coordinator in Ethiopia, who has warned that the exact number could be much higher due to people’s fears of discrimination and lack of health services.
“I welcome statements by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali that Eritrea will withdraw troops from the Tigray. To test this commitment, an international task force is needed to deploy to the ground to ensure that this is verifiable (taken from EU, AU, UN, USA). There is zero confidence in Eritrea, “said Rashid Abdi, an Horn of Africa affairs analyst.
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