Ethiopian Airlines to resume flights to war-torn Tigray capital

 

The first commercial flights to Tigray in around 18 months will begin on Wednesday, according to a statement from Ethiopian Airlines, which will also resume flights to the capital of the war-torn northern region.

 

The news comes a day after a delegation of government representatives and executives from public companies visited Mekelle to talk about carrying out the peace accord from last month.

 

The two years of combat between the Tigrayan forces and the Ethiopian federal government and allies, which resulted in thousands of deaths and millions of displaced people, came to an end with the deal, which included pledges to restore services.

 

"The resumption of these flights will enable families to reunite, facilitate the restoration of commercial activities, stimulate tourist flow and bring many more opportunities which will serve the society," Ethiopian Airlines CEO Mesfin Tasew, who was part of the delegation to Mekelle, said in a statement.

 

A travel agent in Addis Ababa said the first Mekelle-bound flight was fully booked within hours of the announcement.

 

According to official media on Tuesday, nearly the entire region is now connected to the national power system, and telecom services have been restored in 27 towns.

 

Redwan Hussien, an Ethiopian national security advisor, posted on Twitter that "in the meantime, handing over of heavy weapons and restoration of Constitutional duty of ENDF (Ethiopian National Defence Force) in Mekele in particular is likely to be executed until Thursday." Without identifying specific foreign forces, he mentioned the Nairobi agreement on the execution of the peace accord, which called for the transfer of heavy weaponry together with the withdrawal of foreign and non-federal forces.

 

Eritrean troops, which have fought alongside Ethiopian federal forces but are not signatories to the peace agreements, have been accused of looting towns, arresting and killing civilians after their signing.

 

A humanitarian aid worker in the Tigrayan town of Shire told Reuters he saw Eritrean soldiers there on Tuesday morning.

 

DebretsionGebremichael, leader of regional party, the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), called for their departure.

 

"We have disengaged our troops in all four fronts. But we left some in areas where (Eritrean) forces are still present," he said in a televised address from Mekelle.