The Neoliberalism Ideology Of The West Is The Ultimate Loser Of ‘Ethiopia Peace Deal’

The long-awaited outcome of peace talks, between the Federal government of Ethiopia and TPLF, ended in Pretoria, South Africa this week with a peace agreement between the warring parties. It was not a plain issue bringing to an end this protracted bloody war. However, the combatants in this war reached a settlement and agreed to a “permanent cessation of hostilities” to bring an end to this conflict, effectively ending ten days of negotiations. The role of the African Union (AU) in reaching this deal is of paramount importance. The role of the AU in this regard speaks closely to the adage, “African solutions to African problems”, by African Union mediator Olusegun Obasanjo, the former Nigerian president who has been leading the mediation.

Obasanjo, in the first briefing on the peace talks, said marks an important step in efforts to silence the guns and a solid foundation for the preservation of Ethiopia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. In Tuesday’s agreement, both sides “agree and recognize” that the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia has “only one defense force”. Consequently, there will be an orderly, smooth, and coordinated disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration (DDR) program for TPLF fighters. Ethiopia’s government and the TPLF have also agreed on the immediate cessation of hostilities, the resumption of unhindered humanitarian access, the restoration of services as well as healing and reconciliation. The implementation of the peace agreement will be supervised and monitored by an AU high-level panel.  

The Core Issues They Agreed Upon

Although the details of the agreements signed between the representative of the Federal Government and TPLF are yet to be revealed, the live deliberations of the content of the agreement read by the heads of the representative from both parties stipulated that both sides reject “violence as a method of resolving political differences” in future. Here are a few key takeaways from the agreement.

Both sides “agree and recognize” that the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia has “only one defense force”. Consequently, there will be a disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration (DDR) program for TPLF fighters. The constitutional order of the country, the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the nation, and the need to ensure that a single national army is the Ethiopian National Defense Force (ENDF) is to keep order and peace in the entire country and that total and permanent disarmament of TPLF forces must be put in place through a process in which the ENDF will chart out disarmament program from the first 5 days of the signing of the agreement and be followed by a series of action on practical disarming of TPLF forces and submission of their armaments to the ENDF.

Immediate restoration and rehabilitation of social service facilities like banks, internet, and other communication facilities, schools, and health services. The two-year war has not only resulted in the destruction of social services but has led to an untold number of human losses and the dispersal of family fabrics in the Tigray, Amhara and Afar regions. The lack of electric power services and banks as well as telephone lines had seriously affected the livelihood of the people in the northern part of Ethiopia.

The federal government has agreed to allow unhindered access to aid, with the help of humanitarian agencies, to address these needs – especially for women, children, and the elderly. In return, international relations and communications and all diplomatic activities fall under the prerogatives of the Federal Government of Ethiopia. The government also agreed to facilitate the return of those displaced outside the region in due time. Ethiopia and Tigray leaders are to ensure that the aid is used only for humanitarian purposes. TPLF was using relief food to feed its fighters and confiscated half a million of fuel from the WFP depot to transport its fighters. The Government of Ethiopia has recently issued an international call to all concerned to provide relief food for the war-ravaged population in the northern part of the country.

The agreement also covered the protection of civilians, ensuring the peace, safety, and stability of the population in the war-affected areas and making sure that their human and constitutional rights are protected, especially those people who have been displaced due to violence in Tigray, Amhara, and Afar. The deal also stipulated an end to sexual and gender-based violence and violence against children, women, and the elderly, as well as the recruitment of child soldiers. There have been numerous reports suggesting that TPLF had recruited child soldiers.

TPLF committed to respecting the constitutional authority of the federal government and to “cease all attempts of bringing about an unconstitutional change of government”. In return, the Ethiopian government committed to stopping military operations targeting TPLF, and restoring essential services in the region. The federal government also agreed to ensure and improve the representation of the Tigray region in federal institutions, including the parliament, and the establishment of a provisional regional government in Tigray which will be tasked to coordinate all the rehabilitation programs in the region and conduct daily regional government activities. The Ethiopian Government is tasked with establishing a provisional regional administration to conduct economic, social, and all other services and run government administrative activities in a smooth manner. It is to be noted that there is no legal government in Tigray at this point in time and that the TPLF government structure in Tigray is to be dismantled.

The Role Of the African Union

This great responsibility that the AU shouldered and the promising result gained manifest wisdom of Africans in handling serious issues upholding the motto of “African solutions for challenges facing Africa”. Most importantly, the process to arrive at this momentous deal was fully taken over by the African high-level panel which in turn proves the fact that the continent is capable to deliver per the promises expressed in Agenda 2063, silencing the guns and taking matters of resolving conflicts with its own capacity.

Regarding the agreement, the African Union (AU) High Representative for the Horn of Africa, Olusegun Obasanjo, former President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, said:

“We have seen in practice and actualization what we have tried to achieve for ourselves over the years. And that is African solutions for African problems. We also see in today’s agreement signing exercise the implementation of Agenda 2063 which embodies silencing the gun in Africa.”

“The two parties in the Ethiopian conflict have formally agreed to the cessation of hostilities as well as to systematic, orderly, smooth and coordinated disarmament.

“This moment is not the end of the peace process. Implementation of the peace agreement signed today is critical for its success.”

Declaring its readiness to peace talks anytime, anywhere and without any precondition, Ethiopia stood firm but only under the auspice of the African Union and finally became successful. It has a great meaning that the individuals who led the peace talks are all Africans. What comes next is the implementation of the agreement on the ground which needs the commitment of both sides for the sake of the Ethiopian people.

Regarding this, Redwan Hussein (Ethiopian Representative) said: “It is now for all of us to honor this agreement. We must be true to the letter in the spirit of this agreement. The people of Ethiopia expected more than the text of this agreement. They demand peace and harmony. They desire development. They have drafted a promising and bright future.” Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed on his part called on the people of Tigray to support the implementation of the peace agreement reached in order to avoid war and achieve lasting peace.

“The agreement signed today in South Africa is monumental in moving Ethiopia forward on the path of the reforms we embarked upon four and a half years ago.

“Our commitment to peace remains steadfast. And our commitment to collaborating for the implementation of the agreement is equally strong.”

“If a victory found in war isn’t repeated in peace, if the peace found through victory isn’t repeated with prosperity, Ethiopia’s existence/sovereignty will inevitably be violated one way or another.”

How It All Started?

The civil war could have been avoided, had there been sanity, restraint, courage, realism, and wisdom in the minds of the core actors of geopolitical powerplay in the world today. This civil war has been an ongoing crisis and had been taking place since November 2020, when the tensions between the Ethiopian government and TPLF reached a tipping point after TPLF attacked Ethiopian Defense force military base on 3 November 2020, where the government troops resided.

To add insult to injury, the West, especially the US, has supported the TPLF politically, diplomatically, and narratively throughout the war, and now they are fumbling. In addition to that, the Western mainstream media are trying their best to depict the Ethiopian government as this draconian regime that has organized a genocidal campaign in the Tigray region. WHO’s director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said, “There is a very narrow window now to prevent genocide.” Tedros was the minister of health in 2005 when the TPLF was in power.

Based on current global politics, a nation’s being located in a geo-strategic area makes it a focus of unhealthy attention by hypocrites, opportunists, and satellite organizations that recruit Trojan horses which prove alacritous to see to the former dictates to the latter. One can substantiate the aforementioned fact with how they (the US, UN, and EU, according to US expert on US policy Eugene Puryear and others) are creating a mess in Ethiopia found in the horn of Africa riding their Trojan horse that is TPLF.

In this proxy war, the biggest victims are the people of Ethiopia. In two years, they have suffered a lot. Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, whose job is to fulfill the needs and aspirations of his citizens, grow the nation’s economy, develop the infrastructure, etc, is forced to dedicate a considerable amount of his time and effort to defending Ethiopia from the merciless attacks and brutality of the TPLF. The West did whatever it could to violate the sovereignty of Ethiopia and tried to disintegrate its territorial integrity.

Finally Peace At The Horn

“Peace in Africa”: These are the three magical words that give sleepless nights to the Neoliberal Colonialists. The Western-led war machinery runs by waging war in the African Continent as the West gets to sell more and more weapons and ammunition if Africa remains destabilized. However, Ethiopia’s Abiy Ahmed has closed one more door for Neoclassical colonialists to intervene in Africa. They wanted to control the “Horn of Africa”, owing to its strategic importance. But this time Africa is not under the control of the Neoliberalism war machine and its proxy TPLF has come to an end. Abiy Ahmed led the Ethiopian government and the TPLF has agreed on “permanent cessation of hostilities” in order to end the War in the Northern Tigrayan region. The Chief mediator Olsugen Obasanjo stated at the first press briefing on Wednesday that the agreement marked a new “dawn” for Ethiopia, the Horn of Africa, and Africa as a whole, he stated while addressing a news conference.

The emerging news from Pretoria, SA, looks like it is the beginning of the end of the West’s hegemony in the Horn of Africa region. With the obliteration of the TPLF’s armed insurgents, The West dreams of controlling and exploiting the horn are shattered. This is a major headway for the Prime Minister of Ethiopia Abiy Ahmed who expressed that Ethiopia will be the one which will dominate the region.

Throughout the war, the West, particularly the US, supported the TPLF politically, diplomatically, and narratively. Now, however, they are stumbling. The UN secretary general, António Guterres, as well as Western officials and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) continue to call for a “cessation of hostilities,” which appears to be a demand that Ethiopia and Eritrea end all hostilities before the talks. The misinformation campaign against Ethiopia and Eritrea is becoming more harsh and vociferous daily. According to Reuters, the TPLF delegation and Mike Hammer, the US special representative to the Horn of Africa, arrived on a US military aircraft. This overt demonstration of going along with things further clears up the question of who is in charge of the TPLF. But with the truce, the war has ended and with it the hegemony of the West. It also tried to control the other countries in the neighboring region including Eritrea, Djibouti, Sudan, and Kenya but failed miserably. One country which is still under the control of the US and the West is Somalia which is infested with Al-Shabab terrorists.

With the liberation of countries like Mali, Ethiopia, and DRC among others from the clutches of the West, leaders of countries like Somalia and Chad are seeing that it is not in their national interest to remain in the clutches of the West. They will get nothing in return but servitude. Ethiopia and Eritrea after this truce will now be able to focus on their economy and stability. Stability will give confidence to the investors that they can invest in these countries. And with the rise of countries like Ethiopia, the whole Horn of Africa will stabilize and prosper. This may give some heartache to the Neoliberals of the West as its war machine will not get resources from these countries ultimately benefiting the African continent.