TPLF in talk with Ethiopian gov’t, issues preconditions for ceasefire

ADDIS ABABA – The leader of the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) has said that he has been in talks for the past few days with the government of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed in Addis Ababa in what appears to be a positive gesture from the parties to end the conflict.

Prior to the outbreak of the Tigray conflict, the TPLF under Debretsion was the ruling part in the northern Tigray region, but a law enforcement operation that followed a TPLF attack on a federal army base in Tigray stripped the now-rebel group from its ruling-party status, with the federal parliament designating it as a terrorist organization.

Since then, Debretsion has been fighting the government in Addis Ababa in a bid to remove Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed from power, demanding at some point that the federal army surrender to the TPLF, but a forceful response by the federal army resulted in the defeat of the TPLF from Afar and Amhara regions back into Tigray.

Speaking to the BBC on Saturday, Debretsion revealed that they have been in informal talks with the Ethiopian federal government and said that there has emerged an improvement in the way they exchange messages, but gave preconditions before formal talks for a ceasefire begin.

“The federal forces and our forces must stop fighting to give peace a chance, not only that but those necessary supplies must arrive. Unfortunately, we have a government that kills its own people, so we must stop [fighting],” he said.

“We must go to negotiate ceasefire, a formal ceasefire, foreign forces must be withdrawn, the Eritrean forces are still in Tigray, they must withdraw, the Amhara militias are in Tigray, they have to withdraw and any other foreign intervention must stop then we continue for a national dialogue,” he added

He said their representatives “are talking to the federal government and there are signs of improvement but we are still waiting.”