Addis Abeba — An agreement has been established between the Tigray and Afar regions to expedite the return of individuals displaced by the two-year war in Tigray, which concluded in November 2022.
A delegation headed by Getachew Reda, President of the Tigray Interim Administration, visited Semera, the capital of the Afar region, on 03 October, 2024.
The delegation engaged in discussions with Afar Regional State President Awol Arba and other senior officials.
In a post shared on his social media platform, X, Getachew stated that their discussion primarily centered on "restoring the historical brotherly relationship between the two peoples, safeguarding the shared security of both regions, and promoting peace and development through all possible means."
He further disclosed, "We have reached an agreement to immediately begin restoring the people-to-people relations between the two regions that had been disrupted."
Getachew emphasized that both parties have agreed to reestablish the previously strong relationship by "overcoming the strained relations" and committing to work wholeheartedly.
The president revealed that an agreement has been reached to reopen the roads connecting the two regions and to resume previously disrupted cooperation.
"We have also agreed to collaborate in bringing political organizations in the Tigray and Afar regions with unresolved issues back to the peace talks," he stated.
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Additionally, Getachew noted that both regions have agreed that responsible officials at each level will hold regular meetings to ensure the proper implementation of the agreements.
According to state media, Awol Arba, President of the Afar region, expressed during the discussion that efforts are underway to secure lasting peace and development between the two regions.
The two regions were engaged in a conflict during the two-year war that commenced in November 2020 between the federal government and forces in Tigray. The Afar region aligned with the federal government.
The war had significant repercussions for both regions, resulting in widespread displacement.
In October 2022, Addis Standard reported that 163,709 individuals in conflict-affected areas of Afar, bordering Tigray, had been displaced.
In May 2024, reports emerged of a midnight attack by unidentified gunmen that claimed the lives of seven civilians, including a seven-year-old child, in the Raya Azebo district, located in the border area between the Afar and Tigray regions.
