Ethiopia\u2019s Tigray rebels have announced a \u201ccessation of hostilities\u201d in the wake of a declaration by the government of an indefinite humanitarian ceasefire to about 17 months of conflict in the northern region.<\/strong><\/p>\n
The government in Addis Ababa announced the surprise humanitarian truce on Friday, calling on the Tigray People\u2019s Liberation Front (TPLF) to \u201cdesist from all acts of further aggression.\u201d<\/p>\n
After that, the TPLF said in a statement it was \u201ccommitted to implementing a cessation of hostilities effective immediately.\u201d The rebel group also urged Ethiopian authorities to \u201cgo beyond empty promises and take concrete steps to facilitate unfettered humanitarian access to Tigray.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ethiopia\u2019s northern region of Tigray has been in the scene of conflict since November 2020, when Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed sent troops there to topple the TPLF in response to attacks on army camps.<\/p>\n
The war has so far killed thousands of people and displaced more than 400,000 in the region, according to the United Nations. Nearly 40% of Tigray\u2019s population faces \u201can extreme lack of food,\u201d the UN said in January.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the UN, the United States, and the European Union, as well as the African Union have hailed the declaration of truce.<\/p>\n
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