ADDIS ABABA, Oct. 12 (Xinhua) -- The Ethiopian government announced on Monday that more than 92,000 former armed combatants have been reintegrated into civilian life as part of ongoing efforts to achieve lasting peace and national stability.
The Ethiopian National Rehabilitation Commission (NRC) said in a statement issued on Facebook that the former combatants rejoined civilian life after undergoing successful rehabilitation training under the country's flagship disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration initiative.
Temesgen Tilahun, commissioner of the NRC, emphasized that the initiative is playing a crucial role in fostering national stability and lasting peace by reintegrating former combatants with their communities.
Noting that the rehabilitation and reintegration of former members of different armed groups is "progressing successfully" across different regions of the country, Tilahun stressed that the initiative is enabling them to contribute to building sustainable peace and development.
As Ethiopia has grappled with armed conflicts in recent years, the federal government has been urging armed groups to put an end to hostilities and address their differences through dialogue.
Military confrontations have escalated in recent weeks in the East African country's northernmost Tigray region, pitting the Ethiopian National Defense Force and its allied forces against troops loyal to the Tigray People's Liberation Front and its allied armed groups.
The escalation unfolds against the backdrop of the devastating two-year war from November 2020 to November 2022, which caused a massive humanitarian crisis before being formally halted by the Pretoria peace accord in South Africa.
Meanwhile, Tilahun said that a significant number of armed combatants in Tigray are currently showing a "strong desire" to abandon conflict and return to peaceful civilian life by joining the demobilization centers in large numbers.
He added that to further strengthen demobilization efforts in the region, the commission has finalized preparations to receive these former combatants at newly designated temporary rehabilitation training centers across the region. ■
