Addis Ababa, December 19, 2024 (FMC) – Some 5,728 ex-combatants in the Tigray region have been reintegrated to the society after completing their rehabilitation training under the Disarmament, Demobilization, and Reintegration (DDR) program, the Ethiopian Rehabilitation Commission (NRC) confirmed today.
Recall that the first phase of the rehabilitation of 75,000 former militants in the Tigray region has officially started on 21st November 2024 pursuant to the Pretoria Peace Agreement signed between the Ethiopian government and TPLF on November 2, 2022.
In that regard, Director of DDR Program Planning and Monitoring at the Commission, Colonel Belay Abebe, stated that reintegration of 75,000 ex-combatants in the region will be completed in four months in line with the Commission’s schedule.
Accordingly, the 5,728 former TPLF militants have been reintegrated into the society after undergoing the rehabilitation training in Mekelle and Edaga Hamus centers.
Indicating that ex-militants continue to enter into rehabilitation training centers, the Director indicated that a total of 6,625 ex-militants from the Tigray region been reintegrated into the society after completing rehabilitation training since the start of this phase of the program last month.
He said that some 889 ex-militants are also currently undergoing the rehabilitation training in Mekele and Edaga-Humus centers.
Commenting on the next steps of the DDR program, Belay mentioned efforts are being made to increase the intake capacity of rehabilitation training centers by expediting renovation of the Adibarah training center located near Adwa city.
The Director recalled that second phase of rehabilitation training has started in Afar region this week, where 1,750 former militants of the Afar Federalist Democratic Party started the training at the Abala Rehabilitation Training Center.
He pointed out that rehabilitation training provided to ex-militants pursuant to the Pretoria peace accord will contribute significantly to the build lasting peace in Ethiopia.