The Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), a rebel group in northern Ethiopia, announced early Friday morning it has “cautiously’’ agreed to a ceasefire.
This was disclosed in a statement released by the group.
Considering the humanitarian need of its population in Tigray, the TPLF agreed to the implementation of an immediate cessation of hostilities.
“If the right circumstances arise for local 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 said.
The statement also called on the Ethiopian authorities to take concrete steps to facilitate unfettered humanitarian access to Tigray.
The Ethiopian government on Thursday announced an indefinite humanitarian ceasefire in its conflict with Tigrayan rebels.
The Ethiopian government statement called on the Tigrayan rebels to desist from all acts of further aggression and withdraw from areas they have occupied in areas outside the Tigray region.
It also called on the donor community to boost the provision of humanitarian assistance to those who need it in northern Ethiopia.
The TPLF, which currently de-facto rules Ethiopia’s northern Tigray region, and the Ethiopian National Defence Force backed by allied forces have been engaged in a nearly 18-month-long conflict that has reportedly left tens of thousands of people dead.
Ethiopia parliament in May 2021 designated the TPLF as a terrorist organisation.