Eritrean forces have begun withdrawing from Ethiopia’s Tigray region in the north after its leader Abiy Ahmed acknowledged the presence of troops in the conflict-ridden region and announced that Eritrea would withdraw its forces under international pressure.
On Friday, the United States, Germany, France and other G7 countries called for a rapid, unconditional and verifiable withdrawal of Eritrean soldiers, followed by a political process acceptable to all Ethiopians. In a duplicate issued late Saturday by the Foreign Ministry, Ethiopia said that the G7 Foreign Minister’s statement had not acknowledged important steps taken to meet the region’s needs.
“The Eritrean troops who had crossed the border when provoked by the TPLF have now begun evacuating and the Ethiopian Armed Forces have taken over guarding the national border,” the statement said, referring to Tigray’s Popular Liberation Front (TPLF).
Electricity and telephone connections to Tigray have been down for the past four days, making it difficult to verify any withdrawal from Eritrea. Reuters reporters in Tigray last month saw Eritrean soldiers in major cities and highways far beyond the border.
For several months, Eritrea and Ethiopia denied the presence of Eritrean troops despite dozens of eyewitness accounts. On March 23, Abiy acknowledged his presence after rising international pressure.
Eritrea has still not acknowledged that its troops are in Ethiopia. Fighting broke out in Tigray in early November after forces loyal to the then ruling party there – TPLF – attacked army bases across the region. At the end of November, the TPLF withdrew from the regional capital of Mekelle and the Ethiopian government declared victory.
Thousands of people were killed in the conflict, hundreds of thousands have been forced from their homes and there is a shortage of food, water and medicine in the region.
The government says most fighting has stopped but there are still isolated shooting incidents. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said this week that it “reported clashes and ambushes in most parts of the region.”
Last month, an aid organization also witnessed the aftermath of an ambush in a military convoy and the immediate execution of civilians on a highway. The Foreign Ministry said that full access to the region has now been granted to humanitarian organizations.
OCHA said on its website, “For example, in parts of southern and southeastern Tigray, access has been restricted for over a month and the road from Alamata to Mekelle is still closed, blocking humanitarian efforts in the area.”
The Foreign Ministry said a joint inquiry with external experts into alleged human rights abuses would soon be launched, urging donors to send more food and medical assistance.
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