Addis Ababa, April 23, 2023 (FBC) – “Much of the success in the peace process is owed to the leadership of his excellency Dr. Abiy, for his steadfastness and the bold steps he took in the interest of peace,” the African Union (AU) High Representative for the Horn of Africa, Olusegun Obasanjo, former Nigerian President said.

A program under the theme “Enough with War; Let Us Sustain Peace” was organized to honor and recognize those who have contributed to making the Pretoria peace agreement a reality.

While delivering his remarks on the occasion, the AU High Representative for the Horn of Africa, Olusegun Obasanjo said : “We really commend your effort; of course, we cannot fail to mention the bravery of the leadership of TPLF.”

Peace is always a collaborative process to be achieved and sustained, he stated, and added that the success of the Ethiopian peace process owes a debt or gratitude to many others including AU and its organs, the people and government of South Africa.

The AU High Representative underscored “since the deployment of the Monitoring, Verification and Compliance Mechanism to monitor the implementation of the cessation of hostilities agreement, we are continuing to register positive gains in the field, thanks to the will of the parties and broader population.”

According to him, it is imperative to continue providing the necessary support for the monitoring, verification and compliance mechanism in order to harness the gains and maintain momentum.

Following the handover of heavy weapons, the next step is demobilization, Obasanjo pointed out, and elaborated “the question of small arms and light weapons… the full relocation of combatants to designated sites, the resumption of schools, public transport and health services will become the focus of attention and critical to the success of the implementation process of the cessation of hostility agreement.”

It is important that momentum is not lost in the implementation of the cessation of hostility agreement because of our standing in political issues, he stated, and stressed “It is therefore; important that the political dialogue should start urgently so that the Ethiopian people can define their future together and ensure that they never again go to war against one another.”

The High Representative urged all to reaffirm their commitment to peace and to work with and support Ethiopian government and people to repair the damage brought by the terrible war, as ENA reported.

Obasanjo invited all to continue cooperating and supporting the AU as it accompanies Ethiopia on this journey of reconciliation, rehabilitation, reconstruction, durable peace and development.

Moreover, he noted “I have great hope for the unity, peace, security, stability, development and progress of this country as one of the leading nations … of Africa in the needed future. You have what it takes to be in that position.”