The Pretoria Peace Agreement, which brought an end to the devastating conflict in northern Ethiopia, was a hard-won victory, achieved only after overcoming significant obstacles, according to the chief negotiators from both sides. Ambassador Redwan Hussein, representing the Ethiopian government, and Getachew Reda, a lead negotiator for the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), recently detailed the complex challenges faced during the peace talks.
Ambassador Redwan Hussein highlighted three primary hurdles encountered by the government's negotiating team. First, a lack of discipline within the TPLF delegation proved problematic. He explained that individuals with varying agendas would frequently leak sensitive discussions to the media, leading to misinterpretations and creating early friction. Ambassador Redwan also acknowledged that the government side sometimes approached issues with a narrow, localized perspective, but both parties eventually "managed to narrow our differences and continue working together."
Secondly, Ambassador Redwan noted the difficulty in accepting reality and the losses incurred. He revealed that the government's stance was firm: armed groups must surrender their weapons within 24 hours, as possessing arms outside of government control is impermissible. This was in contrast to an initial sentiment from Getachew Reda's group, which believed they could still engage in fighting.
The third significant challenge, according to Ambassador Redwan, was the issue of disputed territories. While an initial agreement on this matter was reached early in the process, the issue was later re-raised, threatening to derail the entire accord. However, by considering the potential for further devastation, both sides managed to reach an understanding on points of convergence.
Meanwhile, Getachew Reda provided insights into the internal dynamics within the TPLF, revealing that the path to peace was also complicated by forces attempting to sabotage the negotiations from within. He stated that some leaders among them "attempted to undermine the peace negotiations."
Getachew disclosed that prior attempts to forge peace agreements in Seychelles and Djibouti nearly succeeded but ultimately failed because certain individuals within their ranks insisted on involving a third party in the negotiation process. He elaborated that while a group within the TPLF believed in peace and negotiation, "some factions wanted a third party to be involved in the negotiations," and these elements would "label one side as guilty and the other as righteous, further hindering our ability to reach an agreement."
Despite these internal challenges, Getachew emphasized that their ability to engage in direct discussions without external interference was crucial. "Our ability to discuss issues among ourselves first, without external interference, helped us resolve our differences and reach an agreement in Pretoria," he affirmed, underscoring the demanding nature of the peace process that ultimately led to the cessation of hostilities.