It was on November 2, 2022, that the government of Ethiopia and the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) signed the Pretoria Peace Agreement to end the two-year-long conflict that took the lives of thousands of people and displaced millions.
Following the pact, Ethiopia has been taking a number of measures and applying all the available resources to commendably implement the agreement and ensure lasting peace and stability.
Despite the backdrops, both parties have made significant progress in implementing the terms of the agreement accordingly. In turn, realizing the fundamental element of the accord, "Permanent Cessation of Hostilities" and silencing the guns has been possible.
Since the time the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement was signed, activities related to the provision of unobstructed humanitarian assistance to those who were in dire need of support and the resumption of basic services, such as electricity, water, telecommunications, transportation and banking, were realized productively.
The other bold steps that Ethiopia implemented subsequent to the agreement were the establishment of the Tigray Interim Regional Administration and the return of internally displaced people to their respective areas.
In line with this, a credible and participatory transitional justice process was also introduced to address the widespread human rights violations and abuses, correct unwarranted narratives, and lessen the grudges and resentments committed by individuals and group perpetrators in many parts of the country over the earlier and recent years.
To this end, a draft roadmap which encompasses wide-ranging activities that are intended to be carried out during the implementation phase has also been prepared. The process, when it becomes fully operational, is expected to bring about permanent solutions to the problems, achieve universal justice, sustain the rule of peace, and ensure lasting peace through a reconciliation process tailored to Ethiopia's unique context.
In like manner, the National Dialogue Commission was established to reach a national consensus on the most fundamental issues of national significance by conducting national dialogues and identifying the root causes of division and inconveniences among the people of Ethiopia.
Currently, both initiatives have implemented a series of activities that lay the foundation to embark on the final step and they are on the right track to achieve the planned goal.
However, despite the efforts and the achievements attained so far, there are still some issues that are not progressing at the desired level though they should be fast-tracked. The Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration (DDR) process is the one in this respect.
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Obviously, undertaking a sweeping disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration program is of critical importance to promote peace and stability as well as to minimize the recurrence of conflicts. However, this is not a simple task that can be accomplished without problems, because the process demands a huge amount of capital, which is more testing in the current Ethiopian context.
As various studies on DDR indicate, DDR programs are costly. Their implementation requires resources, which are usually covered by external actors like the UN and the World Bank, among others.
Hence, development partners, international organizations, and the international community should support Ethiopia and stand by its side in all its energies exerted to effectively implement the Pretoria Peace Pact. They have to committedly underpin the country's effort in all possible ways, especially in the Disarmament, Demobilization, and Reintegration endeavors, as well as the National Dialogue and Transitional Justice programs to promote justice, lasting peace, unity and prosperity across the country; and at the end of the day to make the pact a complete success.
