Ethiopian army says Amhara special forces pulled out from Shire following Tigray rebels' surrender of heavy weapons to government soldiers.
Passengers drop to their knees and kiss tarmac upon arrival in Tigray capital of Mekelle as Ethiopian Airlines resumes flights to the region where two years of war killed hundreds of thousands of people.
The team will oversee the implementation of last month's peace agreement with Tigray's rebels in the first visit by a high-level federal delegation to the region in two years.
The deal will facilitate humanitarian access, provide security guarantees to aid workers, ensure the protection of civilians and establish a joint committee to oversee implementation, mediators say.
Ethiopian government and Tigray rebels have agreed to cease hostilities, a surprise diplomatic breakthrough after nearly two years of war. Following are reactions to the agreement:
Ethiopia's peace committee says it has drawn up a "peace proposal" to try to end the war that erupted in November 2020, but Tigray rebels dismiss the call as "obfuscation".
The Ethiopian Human Rights Commission has catalogued a litany of abuses, including torture, gang rape and enforced disappearances, saying some may amount to war crimes.
Tigray rebels launch "robust" military operations in neighbouring Afar, a decision Addis Ababa says is aimed at "cutting off the primary artery of humanitarian aid to Tigray".
The Ethiopian diaspora in the United States is divided over which side is fighting for the just cause – the government forces or the Tigrayan rebels. Such are the inter-community tensions that friendships are falling apart.
Addis Ababa says its military will remain in recently-liberated northern Amhara and Afar regions, adding the TPLF rebels have been hit hard and are no longer capable of "executing wishes."
Ethiopian forces have reportedly taken back towns near Addis Ababa, including Shewa Robit, which were captures by the rebels last week.
US should refrain from spreading "defamation regarding Ethiopia", says government spokesperson Kebede Dessisa after Washington issued an alert about potential "terrorist attacks".
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