PEACE?

Tigray Rebels Accept Ceasefire with Ethiopian Government

Rebels mounted a stunning comeback in recent weeks after months of alleged human-rights abuses by government forces.

After months of brutal fighting, Tigray rebels have accepted a ceasefire “in principle” with the Ethiopian government, The Guardian reports. The agreement calls for Eritrean soldiers, who allied with government forces, to leave the region and other conditions may be imposed as the ceasefire has yet to be finalized. Ever since Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed sent the country’s army to quell the rebel Tigray People’s Liberation Front in November, violence has been constant in the region, with the army, Eritrean troops, and regional militias accused of grave human-rights abuses and massacres.

The agreement comes after a stunning comeback by rebels in recent weeks. Just this week, Tigray forces paraded a massive group of captured Ethiopian soldiers through the region en route to jail, in an attempt to apply pressure to Prime Minister Ahmed, The New York Times reported. The United Nations has called for a ceasefire to allow for humanitarian aid to be provided to civilians affected by the conflict. More than 400,000 are now in famine as a result of the conflict, according to UN.