Ethiopian PM Abiy meets Tigray leaders for first time since peace deal

Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. [File, Standard]

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed on Friday met with leaders of the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) for the first time since the two-year conflict ended late last year with a peace deal, official media reported.

The meeting was held three months after the government and the rebel group signed a permanent cessation of hostilities deal in November to end the conflict, restore law and order, and resume services and the delivery of humanitarian supplies.

According to the state-run Ethiopian News Agency, Ahmed met members of the peace agreement implementation coordination committee, which includes senior TPLF leaders, in the country's southwestern Dawuro Zone.

During the talks, the two sides evaluated the implementation of the peace agreement and discussed issues requiring further attention, it was reported.

The second most populous nation in Africa has seen a devastating conflict between government-allied troops and forces loyal to the TPLF since November 2020, which left thousands dead and millions in urgent need of humanitarian assistance.