A recent deal promising a continued effort for peace in Tigray has been welcomed by the Catholic Bishops of Ethiopia.

The process began on 2nd November, but the bishops used the Annual Ordinary Assembly this month to highlight the agreement and pledge their support.

The two-year conflict has resulted in more than 2.5 million people being displaced, as well as countless deaths.

The deal – between the Ethiopian government and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) – sparks fresh hope for all those affected by the unfolding humanitarian crisis.

The groups have been at war since 2020.

The Bishops’ Conference says the agreement and the process that has unfolded since was “the prayer and wish of all Ethiopians to end the conflict and war in Ethiopia”.

They said: “It is our constant prayer that our country, Ethiopia, be built on ethics, God-fearing citizens, who are grateful for what is given to them instead of taking what is not theirs, and who can share what they have with other people.”

The government has just announced a high-level federal delegation has been sent to implement the peace agreement and ensure its progress.

Under the agreement, Eritrean troops will be withdrawn – a move that has been celebrated by the TPLF after soldiers were dispatched to assist the Ethiopian government.

The withdrawal was a condition of the TPLF ahead of signing the peace agreement.