The demobilization of Tigrayan forces officially began today in Mekelle, marking a significant milestone in the implementation of the Pretoria peace agreement.
The launching ceremony was attended by prominent figures, including General Stephen Radina, Head of the AU Monitoring, Verification, and Compliance Mechanism; Brigadier General Derbe Mokryaw, representing the Ethiopian National Defense Force (ENDF); General Fiseha Manjus, Head of the Security Office for the Tigray Interim Administration; and other dignitaries.
This comes a day after the National Rehabilitation Commission announced its plan to demobilize 75,000 former Tigray fighters as part of a broader initiative to reintegrate ex-combatants into society. The commission, working in collaboration with the Tigray Interim Administration and federal institutions, identified participants for the rehabilitation program.
The first phase includes training combatants at three demobilization centers located in Mekelle, Adwa, and Edaga-Hamus, to complete the training within four months.
The Pretoria agreement signed in November, 2022 stipulates Tigrayan forces should disarm their weapons taking into account the security situation in Tigray.
As part of the DDR process, Tigrayan forces first disengaged during the first month into the signing of the agreement followed by handing over of heavy weapons in January 2022.
