On Wednesday, Ethiopian Airlines resumed scheduled flights to Mekele, the capital of the war-torn region of Tigray as part of the peace treaty signed between the federal government and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) in November.
“We are starting with a single flight per day for now, but we will increase it as telecom services are restored in the Tigray region,” Mesfin Tasew, CEO of Ethiopian Airlines, told the Associated Press. Mesfin said the move is expected to “enable families to reunite, facilitate the restoration of commercial activities, stimulate tourist flow and bring many more opportunities which will serve the society.”
The decision came a day after an Ethiopian government delegation, including ministers and heads of public enterprises, visited Mekele to discuss implementing the peace agreement. It was the first high-level government visit to Tigray in two years, paving the way for peaceful engagement in a region where as many as half a million people have died from war or famine since the war began in 2020.
Similarly, Ethio Telecom, Ethiopia’s state-owned telecom provider, announced the resumption of its services in Tigray, where most cities had been largely cut off from the rest of the world. In a statement, the Ethiopian Prime Minister’s office said that 28 towns in the region, including Mekele, have had their access to telecom services restored over the past few weeks, with the repair of around 981km of fibre optic cables completed.
.@ethiotelecom CEO announced restoration of telecom service in Mekele today. 27 towns throughout the region have been restored over past weeks with repair of 981kms of fiber optic cables completed from a total of 1,800 kms needing repair. #Ethiopia 🇪🇹
— Billene ቢልለኔ Aster Seyoum (@BilleneSeyoum) December 28, 2022
Last month, the Ethiopian government and the TPLF signed a landmark peace deal ending the two-year-long civil war in Tigray. The warring parties agreed to a deal after days of intense negotiations led by the African Union (AU) in Pretoria.
As per the deal, the TPLF and Addis Ababa agreed on several confidence-building measures, including the disarmament of all Tigray forces and the restoration of basic, essential services and unhindered humanitarian access to Tigray.
“We are carrying out the following activities in war affected areas:
— Office of the Prime Minister - Ethiopia (@PMEthiopia) November 15, 2022
1. Support: humanitarian aid, gathering harvest, medical treatment
2. Rebuilding: infrastructure quickly
3. Return: The work of returning the displaced people to their homes.”#PMAbiyresponds pic.twitter.com/sq4cTVHhzT
Referring to the federal delegation’s visit on Monday, Getachew Reda, spokesman for the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), said, “Fruitful discussions were held and important understanding reached. The government's gesture to green-light the long-overdue restoration of services is commendable.”
Similarly, a statement released by the government said, “This gesture is an attestation to the peace agreement getting on the right track and progressing.”
were held & important understanding reached. The government’s gesture to green light the long over due restoration of services is commendable. That none of the delegation members bothered to bring close protection guards is a testament to their confidence in Tigray’s commitment
— Getachew K Reda (@reda_getachew) December 26, 2022
The conflict in Tigray has killed tens of thousands of people, displaced over two million, and witnessed grave human rights violations, including mass killings, rapes, and deliberate starvation. Both the Ethiopian government and the TPLF have been accused of committing atrocities.
According to the World Food Programme, around 10 million people in northern Ethiopia are in dire need of food assistance and the situation could get worse if aid continues to be restricted. It has also been reported that 40% of Tigrayans suffer from an “extreme lack of food,” 83% are food insecure, and 13% of Tigrayan children under the age of five are malnourished.