Ethiopian Informer
ADDIS ABABA: The Ethiopian government announced that more than 65,500 former armed combatants have been reintegrated into civilian life after a successful rehabilitation initiative.
The Ethiopian National Rehabilitation Commission (NRC), in a statement issued Tuesday, said that the reintegration of over 65,000 former armed combatants into civilian life since November 2024 “marks a critical step forward in the country’s collective pursuit for lasting peace, stability, and development.”
According to the commission, more than 53,300 of the former armed combatants who were recently reintegrated into civilian life are from the Tigray region. Among them also include 5,365 in Oromia, 5,168 in Amhara, and 1,712 in Afar regions.
The rehabilitation and reintegration initiative provides the former combatants with financial assistance, as well as medical and mental health support to aid their transition into civilian life, it was noted.
The Ethiopian federal government and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front signed a peace accord in November 2022 to end a two-year conflict in the northern part of the country. The Cessation of Hostilities Agreement, among other things, includes the orderly disarmament of the combatants.
In recent years, the East African country has been grappling with armed conflicts in various regions, with the Ethiopian government urging different armed groups to put an end to hostilities and address their differences through dialogue.
Highlighting that “strong coordination” among concerned stakeholders continues to ensure the social and economic reintegration of former combatants, NRC also highlighted a steady progress in the ongoing reintegration process of former armed combatants across the East African country.
(Photo from Ethiopian News Agency (ENA) shows the Disarmament, Demobilization, and Reintegration (DDR) program targeting 75,000 former combatants in Ethiopia’s Tigray region)
