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Amhara regional state calls on TPLF to respect the Pretoria deal, vacate occupied areas

Soldiers with the Ethiopian National Defence Force (ENDF) travel on a truck near Aykel, on the road that connects Gondar to the Sudanese border in Ethiopia's Amhara region, on February 27, 2024. (Photo: Michele Spatari/AFP)

By Bashir Mohammed | Thursday, April 18, 2024

Recent reports indicate that following recent violent clashes in Raya Alamata district, an estimated 3,000 to 5,000 civilians and officials have sought refuge in the town of Kobo, located in the Amhara region.

The Amhara regional government has issued a stern warning to the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), urging them to "fully respect" the Pretoria deal and "swiftly vacate the areas it occupied recently." This comes after the TPLF allegedly colluded with external and internal forces hostile to Ethiopia and unilaterally declared war on March 25, 2024.

"The government and people of the Amhara region, together with other brothers and sisters of Ethiopia, will be forced to save the country from destruction and defend our people from violence if the TPLF fails to comply," the statement warned.

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The Amhara regional government accused the TPLF of invading areas including Raya Alamata, Raya Bala, Ofla, Korem, and Zata, local areas located in the southern Tigray zone, and waging an "endless bloody war against the Amhara people" due to "deep-rooted hatred."

"We appeal to the international community to strongly condemn the invasion by the TPLF," the statement said. "We urge security forces to fulfil their historical responsibility by organising the people and protecting their environment."

Recent reports indicate that following recent violent clashes in Raya Alamata district, an estimated 3,000 to 5,000 civilians and officials have sought refuge in the town of Kobo, located in the Amhara region. Residents said many displaced people sheltered at a school in Kobo, while others returned home this morning.

General Tadesse Werede, deputy president of the Tigray interim administration and chief of Tigrayan forces, stated that the federal government and the Tigray regional administration have reached an agreement on the need to dismantle administrations established by Amhara forces in Western Tigray, Tselemti, and some parts of Southern Tigray that are under occupation.

However, the Amhara regional government asserted that the TPLF had "seized by force" these areas before the ratification of Ethiopia's current constitution. Numerous historical evidences demonstrated that the residents of these areas had already raised "questions of identity and self-governance" and demanded the respect of their rights.

The National Movement of Amhara (NaMA) issued a similar statement, urging both the federal and Amhara regional governments to "immediately cease the assault." The area experienced another deadly clash in March this year, contributing to accusations and counter-accusations between the authorities in the two regional states.

The situation has raised concerns about the fragility of the Pretoria deal and the potential for a resumption of conflict. The 2024 Annual Threat Assessment of the U.S. Intelligence Community warned that despite the Pretoria Cessation of Hostilities Agreement (CoHA) signed in November 2022 between the Ethiopian Government and the Tigrayans, "unresolved territorial issues could lead to a resumption of conflict."

As tensions continue to rise, it remains to be seen whether the parties involved can find a peaceful resolution to their differences and respect the Pretoria deal.

"We are committed to finding a peaceful solution to this conflict, but we will not stand idly by while our people are attacked and displaced," said an Amhara regional government official. "We urge the TPLF to respect the Pretoria deal and vacate the areas it has occupied."