Ethiopian troops seen approaching Tigray after truce
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Ethiopian troops heading toward the Tigray region create fear of risking the humanitarian truce agreed upon between the government and the rebels.
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More than nine million people need food aid across the Afar, Amhara, and Tigray regions.
After Ethiopian President Abiy Ahmed's government and the rebels in the Tigray region agreed on a humanitarian truce, hundreds of army troops were seen located in a town near the border of the province, Bloomberg reported
According to the website, "Over the past few days, 32 buses carrying soldiers were seen in Kobo in Amhara state, south of Tigray, some of whom may be replacing personnel who were being rotated," Addisu Wedajo, the town’s mayor, said by phone.
Troops' presence may place risk
Although the Ethiopian forces' role is to help facilitate the establishment of a humanitarian corridor to allow aid to be distributed to millions of people in need in the region, "their presence may also place the truce at risk," Bloomberg pointed out.
"Neither the people nor the regional government has adopted the truce,” Addisu said, adding that “There is a fear that we will be at risk if the federal forces move, so everyone is holding their ground.”
On March 24, Ethiopia's government declared "an indefinite humanitarian truce effective immediately," which it hoped would accelerate the delivery of emergency aid into the Tigray region, where hundreds of thousands face starvation.
TPLP won't stand in the way of aid deliveries
Bloomberg noted that the agreement is the closest the government and the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) "have come to a cease-fire since hostilities erupted in November 2020."
TPLF Spokesperson Getachew Reda said the front "won’t do anything that stands in the way of aid deliveries," although it’s closely monitoring troop movements.
Reda highlighted that “at this stage, there is no indication that such movements are meant for securing the road for aid."
“Nor are we particularly at this point worried that the new reinforcements are meant to overrun our positions,” he added.
9 million+ people need food aid
Fighting has dragged on for over a year, triggering a humanitarian crisis, as accounts have emerged of mass rapes and massacres, with both sides accused of human rights violations.
According to the UN, more than 400,000 people have been displaced in Tigray.
The UN reported in January that nearly 40% of the people in Tigray, a region of six million people, face "an extreme lack of food," with fuel shortages forcing aid workers to deliver medicines and other crucial supplies by foot.
In addition, the UN's World Food Programme (WFP) estimated that more than nine million people need food aid across the Afar, Amhara, and Tigray regions.
No aid had been shipped yet
According to the Ethiopian Communications Minister, Selamawit Kassa, the government and the National Risk Disaster Commission are assessing Tigray’s needs, however, no aid had been shipped yet
For its part, the WFP said it’s ready to deliver aid to affected Ethiopians as soon as safe.
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