ADDIS ABABA, March 12 (Xinhua) -- The parties to the peace agreement that ended a two-year civil war in northern Ethiopia have reaffirmed their commitment to implementing the peace accord, the African Union (AU) has said.
This came as the 55-member continental organization convened the first strategic reflection meeting on the implementation of the Permanent Cessation of Hostilities Agreement (COHA) in Ethiopia on Monday, according to an AU statement.
The meeting on the implementation of the peace accord that was signed in November 2022 between the Ethiopian federal government and the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) was convened by Chairperson of the AU Commission Moussa Faki Mahamat.
The meeting, among other things, aimed to review the progress, identify key challenges and propose ways to address gaps in the implementation of the COHA, according to the AU.
"The parties reaffirmed their commitment to implementing the COHA and agreed to hold multifaceted consultations to advance peace, security and stability in the Tigray region," the AU said.
Acknowledging the progress made and identifying areas they require additional joint efforts toward fully implementing the COHA, the two parties further decided to consult regularly and to convene in a similar format within the next few months.
On Nov. 2, 2022, the Ethiopian government and the TPLF signed a cessation of hostilities agreement in Pretoria, South Africa, to end a two-year brutal conflict.
The peace deal, among other things, includes provisions for the restoration of law and order, restoration of basic services, as well as unhindered access to humanitarian supplies.
The strategic reflection meeting, facilitated by the AU High-Level Panel for the Ethiopian Peace Process, brought together representatives from the Ethiopian federal government, the Interim Regional Administration in Tigray, the TPLF, as well as other international observers, including the United Nations, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development and the African Development Bank. ■
