Ethiopia’s TPLF cautiously declares truce, vow to ‘give peace a chance’

ADDIS ABABA – Ethiopia’s rebellious Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) led by Debretsion Gebremichael on Thursday night cautiously reciprocated a humanitarian truce declared by the Ethiopian government earlier in the day, saying the group will try its “best to give peace a chance”.

Earlier Thursday, the government of Ethiopia declared a humanitarian truce to allow aid flow into the embattled northern Tigray region and appealed to the donor community to redouble its efforts in helping the government in Addis Ababa in meeting its target of giving food to millions of starving Tigrayans.

In a statement, the Tigray rebel group reiterated its commitment to achieving peace, but then accused the government of Prime Minister Dr. Abiy Ahmed of standing behind stumbling block of aid delivery into the region since the outbreak of the conflict in the year 2020.

It then declared a cautious ceasefire that it says is effective immediately and vowed that the group will do its best to make sure that the cessation of hostilities is successful and called on the government in Addis Ababa to equally do the same.

“…… if the right circumstances arise for our people to receive the level of humanitarian assistance commensurate with needs on the ground, and within a reasonable timeframe, the Government of Tigray is committed to implementing a cessation of hostilities effective immediately,”  the statement reads in part.

“The Government of Tigray will do everything it can to make sure that this cessation of hostilities is a success. We call on the Ethiopian authorities to go beyond empty promises and take concrete steps to facilitate unfettered humanitarian access to Tigray,” the statement added.

The group said that “while the Government of Tigray is committed to the success of this endeavor, we would like to note that linking political and humanitarian issues are unacceptable. Nonetheless, the people and Government of Tigray will do their best to give peace a chance.”