Ethiopia’s national carrier, Ethiopian Airlines, has confirmed that it is in the midst of preparations to resume flights to the Tigray region (north), suspended due to the conflict that erupted in November 2020, after the government and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) recently signed a cessation of hostilities agreement.
The company’s CEO, Mesfin Tasew, has explained that the agreement is of great importance in speeding up the delivery of humanitarian supplies on the airline’s flights and said that Mekelle and Shire airports could host operations.
On the other hand, Mesfin pointed out that Axum airport has suffered material damage as a result of the fighting, which will require a process of renovations in order to accommodate take-offs and landings, as reported by the Ethiopian television channel Fana.
The Ethiopian government assured on Tuesday that it is «fully complying» with its responsibilities under the agreement with the TPLF. Thus, the head of the Government Communications Service, Legesse Tulu, defended that lasting peace will be achieved if there is «will» and advocated «healing the wounds» and «ensuring equal benefits and unity» among the population The conflict in Tigray broke out in November 2020 following an attack by the TPLF against the main Army base, Following this, the government of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed ordered an offensive against the group after months of political and administrative tensions, including the TPLF’s refusal to recognize an electoral postponement and its decision to hold regional elections outside Addis Ababa.
The TPLF accuses Abiy of whipping up tensions since coming to power in April 2018, when he became the first Oromo to accede to office. Until then, the TPLF had been the dominant force within Ethiopia’s ruling coalition since 1991, the ethnically-supported Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF). The group opposed Abiy’s reforms, which it saw as an attempt to undermine its influence.
