Flights, key services resume in Tigray after 2 years of war in Ethiopia

By Andrew Wasike and Mohammed Dhaysane

NAIROBI, Kenya (AA) - Ethiopia announced Wednesday that it has resumed flights to the Tigray capital of Mekele as key services have also resumed in the northernmost regional state.

Services that have been restored include, air transport, mobile services, humanitarian aid and banking after two years of conflict that has led to the deaths of more than half a million people, according to the UN.

One day after a federal government delegation led by the parliament speaker visited Mekele, flights resumed, opening the door to improved communication between the two parties involved in the two-year conflict.

The CEO of Ethiopian Airlines, Mesfin Tasew, confirmed the resumption of flights to the capital of rebel-held Tigray.

“We are ready to serve our passengers who are traveling on the route between Addis Ababa and Mekele and play our part in the socioeconomic development of our country,” said Tasew.

The Commercial Bank of Ethiopia has restarted financial services in some Tigray towns, allowing residents to access cash after the government closed services one year ago.

Economic analyst Patrick Heinisch told Anadolu Agency that since the peace agreement that brought the war to an end, the economy in Ethiopia has been improving, though slowly, but a great improvement that is helping residents gain what they lost during the war.

“It is far too early to see significant economic gains of the cease-fire agreement. At least on the humanitarian front, relief supplies arrive in Tigray more frequently and the government has achieved some success in restoring basic services in war-affected areas,” he said. “Therefore, the situation of people in these areas has certainly improved. Nevertheless, significant external support will be necessary to rebuild the economy. The Ethiopian government cannot do this alone. Foreign exchange reserves are estimated to cover only 3 months of imports of goods and services. Some estimates put the cost of reconstruction at $20 billion."

It will take time until the majority of Ethiopians see economic improvement, he said.

Two years of fighting between forces loyal to the government and those of the Tigray People’s Liberation Front have left thousands dead and millions in desperate need of humanitarian aid in Ethiopia, the second-most populated country in Africa.

Peace talks between the government and Tigray rebels in November bore fruit as the two sides agreed to a new cease-fire deal.

There has been intense fighting in the northern region since a months-long truce was shattered in late August, with reports of mass casualties and rights violations.

A report released by UN rights experts in October blamed both sides of committing abuses that border on war crimes and crimes against humanity.