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Ethiopia’s gov’t and Tigrayan forces agree to end two-year war
Al JazeeraDec 23, 2022
The Facts
On Wednesday, African Union special envoy and former Nigerian Pres. Olusegun Obasanjo announced that Ethiopia's warring sides have formally agreed to a permanent cessation of hostilities in the first briefing on the peace talks in Pretoria, South Africa.
This comes just more than a week after formal peace talks began, with Obasanjo adding that Ethiopia's government and Tigrayan authorities have also agreed on "orderly, smooth, and coordinated disarmament" along with restoring law and order, services, and access to humanitarian supplies.
The Spin
Narrative A
As the federal government is on the verge of winning this war, Ethiopian PM Abiy Ahmed has actively sought this ceasefire to ensure peace, development, and prosperity. This is the only way to prevent further attempts to violate the country's sovereignty and deter forces that may intend to cause conflicts among Ethiopians.
Narrative B
By signing this ceasefire, the federal government has acknowledged that it couldn't win the war despite making recent advances in Tigray. Addis Ababa knew that occupying these areas would require the deployment of tens of thousands of soldiers to fight local guerrilla, which would increase resistance in the medium and long term.
