NAIROBI, Kenya, Dec 23 — The African Union-led process spearheaded by former Presidents Uhuru Kenyatta (Kenya), Nigeria’s Olusegun Obasanjo and former Deputy President of South Africa Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka is set to deploy peace monitors to Tigray’s capital Mekelle before the end of the month.
The monitors will follow-up and verify the implementation of the Permanent Cessation of Hostilities Agreement (COHA) between the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia (FDRE) and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF).
The resolution was reached Thursday when the African Union Commission convened the 2nd Senior Commanders meeting between Tigray’s TPLF and the Ethiopian Government in Nairobi.
The two-day meeting finalized the Terms of Reference (TOR) of the Joint Monitoring, Verification and Compliance Mechanism (JMVCM).
“The meeting also discussed the implementation of the Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration (DDR) process,” Dr. Alhaji Sarjoh Bah, Director of Conflict Management Directorate Political Affairs Peace and Security Department at the African Union said.
While commending the warring parties for the progress made towards achieving peace, since the signing of the COHA the African Union Commission urged them to step up their efforts to restore peace, security and stability in Ethiopia.
President Kenyatta expressed confidence that peace will be restored Ethiopia citing positive progress in the ongoing talks between the Ahmed Abiy-led government and Debretsion Gebremichael’s TPLF.
“We are indeed making a tremendous progress and today is another plus day where the parties have agreed to a series of actions and activities all aimed at bringing us back to the state of normalcy in Tigray and bringing us back to a state of peace in Ethiopia,” Kenyatta said.
Kenyatta however said they will verify the compliance to the peace deal when they get to the the ground in Mekelle where the TPLF rebels and Ethiopian forces have engaging since November 2020..
“Documents are one thing , what we want now is the deliverable sand this is why we are heading to Mekelle,” he said.
The former leader commended the two parties for what he described as admirable conduct in the peace talks that has been going on for months.
In regards to the presence of foreign forces in Tigray, Kenyatta said that part of the agreement that was signed by senior commanders when they convened in Nairobi last time was the removal of all foreign forces from the Tigray region.
On humanitarian access and resumption of services in Tigray, Kenyatta said that the verification team that had been agreed on by both parties will be on the ground in Mekelle to ensure that all components of the agreement are adhered to.
“They have all concurred and agreed to give the monitors full access, full 360 degree view point to ensure all the elements of the agreement are actually going to be implemented.”
He expressed his confidence that all the challenges being experienced in Tigray would soon come to an end if both parties honor all the elements of the agreement.
The AU Commission thanked the Kenya Government and Kenyans for hosting the Senior Commanders’ meeting describing it as a demonstration of African solidarity.
The Commission further thanked the Government of the United States of America, Norway, United Nations, IGAD, the African Development Bank, and ICRC for their continued support for the AU-led process.
