Eritrea to withdraw troops from Ethiopia's Tigray region, says Ethiopian PM

 As per the Ethiopian Prime Minister's statement on March 23rd, the Eritrean troops had crossed the border into Tigray because they were concerned they would be attacked by TPLF forces. 

Eritrea has agreed to withdraw its troops from Ethiopia's northern Tigray region along their mutual border, said Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed on March 26, 2021. 

He said in a statement on Twitter, "Eritrea has agreed to withdraw its forces out of the Ethiopian border." He added that Ethiopia's military would take over guarding the border area. This is the first time that Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed acknowledged that the Eritrean forces had crossed the border into Ethiopia's northern Tigray region during the fighting. 

The announcement comes as the Ethiopian Prime Minister, who is a winner of 2019 Nobel Peace Prize, faces immense international pressure to end the months-long conflict in which both Eritrean and Ethiopian troops stand accused of atrocities against civilians including mass killings and rapes.

Key Details

•For months, both Eritrea and Ethiopia had denied that Eritrean troops were in Tigray, contradicting accounts from residents, aid workers, diplomats and even some Ethiopian civilian and military officials.

•The Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed finally admitted that the Eritrean troops were indeed in the Tigray region in an appearance before lawmakers on March 23, 2021.

•He then flew to visit Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki. During the visit, he stated that the Eritrean government has agreed to withdraw its forces out of the Ethiopian border. 

•He said that the Ethiopian National Defense Force will take over guarding the border areas effective immediately.

•The Eritrean Information Minister Yemane Gebremeskel did not immediately respond to the statement. His office, however, issued a statement saying that the two sides have agreed to hold follow-up consultative meetings. It made no mention of any deal on troop withdrawal. 

US Statement

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken had said earlier this month that the Eritrean forces in Tigray should be replaced by forces that would respect human rights.

Background 

Ethiopia and Eritrea had been involved in a border war since 1998 that resulted in a stalemate for over two decades and led to the killings of tens of thousands of people. 

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali was awarded the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to resolve the 20-year-long border conflict between Ethiopia and Eritrea after taking office in 2018. However, Eritrea and the Tigray People's Liberation Front remained bitter enemies.